Cuban oil plans irk Florida congresswoman

Energy Resources



Cuban oil plans irk Florida congresswoman

Published: Dec. 18, 2012 at 8:35 AM



WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen" class="tpstyle">U.S.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said she was concerned about Cuba's

commitment to energy safety now that a Russian company started oil work

there.



Russia oil company Zarubezhneft is expected to start drilling for oil

off Cuba's coast through a joint venture with state-run oil company

Cubapetroleo.



Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said

the administration of Cuban President Raul Castro was rushing to exploit

potential offshore reserves while it continued to impose an "iron grip"

over the people. This, she said, was a U.S. national security risk.



"The administration (of President Barack Obama) must wake up and see

that a Castro regime rich in petrodollars is not in the interest of our

national security," she said in a statement.



Cuba is looking into cutting the amount of oil it imports from Venezuela

through development of offshore reserves. The U.S. Energy Information

Administration estimates that, as of 2009, Cuba had less than 1 billion

barrels of oil reserves.



Members of the House of Representatives, all of Cuban descent, from both

parties criticized Obama in a letter last year for not standing against

foreign investments planned for Cuba's energy sector. Ros-Lehtinen, a

harsh critic of Cuba, was one who signed the letter.



http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/12/18/Cuban-oil-plans-irk-Florida-congresswoman/UPI-26541355837747/