CRUDE OIL’S CHOKE POINTS
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
Are you aware of the fact that over 45 percent of the worlds oil must pass through six narrow shipping lanes? Were any of these chokepoints to be blocked or closed off, it would bring unexpected disaster to the civilized world. I will predict that within 3 years, one or more of these vital passageways will be destroyed and the price of oil will go over a hundred dollars a barrow. This would bring humanity to disaster.
The Suez Canal Pipeline connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It is a critical chokepoint for Europe. Its closure would mean that oil tankers from the Gulf on their way to Europe would have to be diverted around the southern tip of Africa, greatly increasing transit time and cost, and decreasing tanker capacity.
Bab el-Mandab connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. It is controlled by Yemen. Tankers from the Persian Gulf go through Bab el-Mandab on their way to the Suez Canal Pipeline and the Mediterranean Sea. Without this access, Persian Gulf oil would have to be rerouted around the southern tip of Africa.
The Strait of Hormuz is the outlet for at least 13 million barrels a day of Persian Gulf oil. Iran controls three strategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz and therefore the strait.
The Turkish Straits connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The straits are only a third-mile wide at the narrowest point and are one of the world’s most difficult channels to navigate. Russia’s oil is exported through these straits.
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. It is controlled by Malaysia and is the key chokepoint in Asia. The strait is strategically most important for China because of China’s growing need for oil from the Middle East and its developing oil investments in Africa.
The Panama Canal connects the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It is an important passageway for Alaskan oil on its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Without it, tankers would have to be rerouted all the way around the southern tip of South America.
The Suez Canal Pipeline connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It is a critical chokepoint for Europe. Its closure would mean that oil tankers from the Gulf on their way to Europe would have to be diverted around the southern tip of Africa, greatly increasing transit time and cost, and decreasing tanker capacity.
Bab el-Mandab connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. It is controlled by Yemen. Tankers from the Persian Gulf go through Bab el-Mandab on their way to the Suez Canal Pipeline and the Mediterranean Sea. Without this access, Persian Gulf oil would have to be rerouted around the southern tip of Africa.
The Strait of Hormuz is the outlet for at least 13 million barrels a day of Persian Gulf oil. Iran controls three strategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz and therefore the strait.
The Turkish Straits connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The straits are only a third-mile wide at the narrowest point and are one of the world’s most difficult channels to navigate. Russia’s oil is exported through these straits.
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. It is controlled by Malaysia and is the key chokepoint in Asia. The strait is strategically most important for China because of China’s growing need for oil from the Middle East and its developing oil investments in Africa.
The Panama Canal connects the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It is an important passageway for Alaskan oil on its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Without it, tankers would have to be rerouted all the way around the southern tip of South America.