CNN LIVE EVENT November 9, 2002
Showdown: Iraq
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, oil is a critical part of the political calculus in the Middle East policy making, especially now in Iraq. The worldwide web contains some interesting public data and photos about the once- secret world of Iraqi oil. And CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg is here now with our "Wired in Iraq" segment.
Daniel, you've been working those hot Internet lines there?
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There is a lot of information on the Internet. And as we have been hearing oil is largely a major, if not largely unspoken factor in the debate surrounding the future of Iraq. Now, should there be a regime change, questions have been raised over what could happen to the control of these reserves in the country, second only to Saudi Arabia in terms of the oil production, hundreds of billions of dollars of this money known as black gold.
Let's check out some sites online. We're going start with a site called eia.doe.gov, that is the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy. Now, here you can find a map, that we can see at the top that outlines some of the major cities that are in Iraq.
As well as a chronology of some of the events that have happened since 1980 that will have parts that have contributed to what has happened to the situation there. And in effect, oil production has dropped dramatically after the war with Kuwait in 1990, '91, '92. As well as a map of the no-fly zones over Iraq where people can see something to do with that in terms of where the oil production may lie.
Also, there is an interesting article that talks about the technology that is used in oil production and how during the last several years, Iraq has not been using the latest in oil industry technology and instead maybe using some questionable engineering techniques. This may have indeed damaged some of the reservoirs in the region.
So, a good site to start with, from there, we're going to go to globalsecurity.org. This is a site we have introduced to people before. It is an organization that culls a variety of military and security information. From here we get some good maps of some of the pipelines that lead off into the Mediterranean Sea. Also this particular site looks at Kirkuk (ph), which is called the center of Iraq's oil industry.
And there are some good satellite images that show other things to do with the pipelines and where the oil industry is located and centered there in Iraq and some good information about the archaeology even in the region.
Finally, we're going to go to plattsonline, it is a site that offers information and news and analysis about the energy industry. On the Iraq site there is some good information showing a map of Iraq and where these different pipelines would lead, as well as some of the major centers of the refineries and pipelines. And there are several reports on the oil industry in Iraq and the production that goes on in Iraq as well.
So, Carol, that's our "Wired in Iraq" segment for today, dealing with oil sites in Iraq. Back to you.
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