Bolivia | |
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Bolivia's Mesa Offers to Step Down as Protests Mount, by Andrew J. Barden in Mexico City for Bloomberg [2005 March 7]
"Bolivian President Carlos Mesa offered his resignation to Congress almost 17 months after taking office, amid stepped up protests against the government's energy policies...
Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, the former President of Bolivia:
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Peasants in Bolivia organized in September 2003 to revolt against "selling" [giving away?] their energy inheritance to the USA, where the average person consumes 40 times more natural gas, 15 times more electricity and 15 times more oil. To characterize this transfer of natural wealth as necessary for the economic well-being of their country is to completely misconstrue the inherent value of this resource in the long term as a mechanism for internal economic development. Furthermore, it could only come from ignorance of realistic global oil and natural gas reserves and prospects, or because Sanchez is deliberately ignoring these facts to support a political agenda.
Population | Households | Electrification | Compared to USA | Natural Gas | Oil | |
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Bolivia | 8,274,000 | 1,977,665 | 64.38% |
7% |
2.4% |
7% |
Urban Areas | 5,165,000 | 1,210,962 | 89.49% |
source: Per Capita ... Consumption (this website) See also An Energy Overview of Bolivia. |
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Rural Areas | 3,109,000 | 766,703 | 24.72% |
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source: Bolivia's Superintendency for Electricity in The USA's EIA Country Analysis Brief for Bolivia |
Here is what one source has to say:
""Much of Bolivia's major natural gas discoveries have come since 1998. Unfortunately, very little of these resources have been tapped due to limited markets within Bolivia. The country has a very small domestic natural gas market that is incapable of absorbing much of the country's output. Close to 50% of Bolivia's gas, the associated (wet) gas, is re-injected, flared, or vented. Forecasts for the next 20 years show that Bolivia will only be able to absorb 20% of the country's gas reserves. Potential export markets for Bolivian natural gas include Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and the United States. Of these, Brazil is Bolivia's only major export market. Bolivia also exports limited quantities to Argentina. With Bolivia sitting on so much untapped reserves with limited potential markets, there is little incentive to invest in further exploration. This could prove detrimental to the country’s long-term energy future." Emphasis by webmaster; source of this propaganda: USA's DOE "
Jumping on the bandwagon, another author echoes this propoganda as though it were fact:
""But in less than four years, Bolivia's proven natural gas reserves have blossomed from 6.6 tcf to 46.8 t[cf] ... Bolivia needs only 20 % of its natural gas reserves for domestic energy consumption and existing exports, meaning 80 % has no home." [Alexander's reports Volume 6, issue #16 - 28-08-2001.] "
What authority does this author cite for the conclusion that Bolivia "needs" only 20% of its natural gas reserves -- as a country whose per capita consumption is a tiny fraction compared to the developed world? Is it conceivable that the USA's Department of Energy might have an agenda? Is it that Bolivians don't "need" gas because they prefer their poverty? And then someone comes up with a title like this: Bolivia lines itself up to rescue energy-starved California. Huh?!
Energy Overview Bolivia Population: 8.6 million Minster of Hydrocarbons: Jorge Berindoague Alcocer Proven Oil Reserves (1/1/03E): 440.5 million barrels Oil Production (Jan.-Oct. 2003E): 40,700 barrels per day (bbl/d), of which 29,700 bbl/d was crude oil Oil Consumption (Jan.-Oct. 2003E): 53,000 bbl/d Net Oil Imports (Jan.-Oct. 2003E): 11,300 bbl/d Crude Oil Refining Capacity (1/1/03E): 63,000 bbl/d Proven Natural Gas Reserves (1/1/03E): 24 trillion cubic feet -- Tcf (some estimates are as high as 54.9 Tcf) Natural Gas Production (2001E): 143 billion cubic feet (Bcf) Natural Gas Consumption (2001E): 41 Bcf Net Natural Gas Exports (2001E): 102 Bcf Electric Generation Capacity (2001E): 1.32 million kilowatts (of which 72% is thermal, 28% is hydro) Electricity Generation (2001E): 3.9 billion kilowatthours Electricity Consumption (2001E): 3.6 billion kilowatthours |
Energy Overview USA Population: 280.6 million Secretary of Energy: Spencer Abraham (as of January 20, 2001) Proven Oil Reserves (1/1/03E): 22.4 billion barrels Oil Production (2003E): 7.9 million barrels per day (bbl/d), of which 5.7 million bbl/d is crude oil (NOTE: Including "refinery gain," US oil production in 2003 is estimated at 8.8 million bbl/d) Oil Consumption (2003E): 19.9 million bbl/d Net Oil Imports (2003E): 11.2 million bbl/d (56.1% of total consumption) Gross Oil Imports (2002E): 11.5 million bbl/d (of which, 9.1 million bbl/d was crude oil and 2.4 million bbl/d were petroleum products) Crude Oil Imports from the Persian Gulf (2002E): 2.2 million bbl/d (around 24% of gross U.S. crude oil imports) Top Sources of U.S. Crude Oil Imports (2002E): Saudi Arabia (1.52 million bbl/d); Mexico (1.50 million bbl/d); Canada (1.45 million bbl/d); Venezuela (1.20 million bbl/d) Value of Gross Oil Imports (2002E): $102.7 billion ($77.5 billion through the first seven months of 2003) Crude Oil Refining Capacity (1/1/03E): 16.6 million bbl/d (133 refineries) Total Oil Stocks (4Q03E): 1.58 billion barrels (including about 638million barrels in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve) Oil Wells Drilled (2002E): 4,964 (down from 8,060 during 2002) Operating Oil and Natural Gas Rotary Rigs in Operation (8/03E): 1,090 (932 for natural gas and 153 for oil) Natural Gas Reserves (1/1/03E): 183 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) Dry Natural Gas Production (2001E): 19.4 Tcf (2002E): 19.0 Tcf (2003E): 19.5 Tcf Natural Gas Consumption (2001E): 22.3 Tcf (2002E): 23.2 Tcf (2003E): 22.3 Tcf Gross Natural Gas Imports (2001E): 4.0 Tcf (over 90% from Canada) (2002E): 4.0 Tcf (Jan-June 2003E): 1.9 Tcf Natural Gas Wells Drilled (2002E): 15,947 (down from 22,083 in 2001) Recoverable Coal Reserves (12/31/98): 275.1 billion short tons (54% lignite and subbituminous; 46% anthracite and bituminous) Coal Production (2001E): 1,128 million short tons (Mmst) (2002E): 1,094 Mmst (2003E): 1,091 Mmst Coal Consumption (2001E): 1,060 Mmst (2002E): 1,066 Mmst (2003E): 1,077 Mmst Gross Coal Exports (2001E): 49 Mmst (2002E): 40 Mmst (2003E): 42 Mmst Primary and Secondary Coal Stocks (closing; 2002E): 181 Mmst (down from 182 Mmst in 2001) Electric Installed Capacity (2001E): 813 gigawatts (74% thermal-fired, 12% nuclear; 12% hydroelectric, and 2% "renewables") Net Electricity Generation (2001E): 3,737 bkwh (2002E): 3,839 bkwh (2003F): 3,836 bkwh |
Here is the article that started this investigation:
The Best Choice for Bolivia By Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, Washington Post, Thursday, November 13, 2003; Page A31. [Contact us if this article is no longer available on the web.]