Page 11 - MEOG Week 40 2022

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

POLICY support worked then and he hopes they will blocked, facing bipartisan opposition.
support this effort. Malinowski has spoken Manchin tweeted that the OPEC+ decision
Democrats push to punish with officials at the White House and State called for a renewed effort to find agreement
on the issue to decrease American
Department, but declined to describe their
Saudi after OPEC+ cut reaction. dependence on foreign oil.
Democrats were divided on whether it was
NPR
Some Democrats in Congress are furious a good idea for President Biden to travel to
about OPEC+’s decision to cut production by Saudi Arabia and meet with the leadership
2 million barrels of oil per day starting next over the summer. Malinowski said, “I felt that OIL
month, and are calling to reexamine ties with the trip was ill advised. I didn’t think we’d get
key oil producers, and even withdraw U.S. much from it. At the same time, I didn’t think Wells drilled in Maysan
military support from Saudi Arabia and the the Saudis would go to these lengths to screw
United Arab Emirates. us.” The Ministry of Oil announced, today, Friday,
A trio of House Democrats all in The number 2 Senate Democratic leader, the completion of drilling operations for two
competitive reelection contests - Pennsylvania Sen. Dick Durbin, tweeted sharp criticism of oil wells in the Halfaya field, in addition to the
Rep. Susan Wild, Illinois Rep. Sean Casten the Saudi royal family, saying they have “never completion and reclamation of three other
and New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski - called been a trustworthy ally” and “it’s time for our wells in Maysan.
the move “a hostile act” and a “turning point” foreign policy to imagine a world without Director of the Drilling and Reclamation
in the relationship between the U.S. and the their alliance.” Department at the authority, Youssef Jabbar
two Gulf states late Wednesday night and According to a recent report from the Mansour, said in a statement received by
introduced legislation to remove U.S. military White House to Congress, roughly 2,700 the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Drilling
support from the two countries. U.S. personnel are deployed to Saudi Arabia operations have been completed for two new
Malinowski told NPR that he believes to protect U.S. interests and protect against wells in the field, carried out by the Chinese
the move was “deliberate” to hurt the U.S. as hostile action from Iran or Iranian-backed companies Bohai and Daqing specialised
it supports Ukraine in the war the Russian groups. There are roughly 2,000 troops in the in drilling operations, and the wells are
invasion and deserves a swift response. In an UAE. Halfaya/567 as a water source, which was
interview Thursday, he said, “I just don’t see The decision is already having an impact completed during 39 days, in addition to the
any good reason for us to maintain troops on gas prices, which had been trending down Halfaya well 1341, up to the productive layer
that are there almost solely for the purpose of in recent weeks. According to AAA, the in the Al-Saadi reservoir, with a period of 75
protecting their oil fields and their security national average for regular gasoline rose from days.
interest. It just doesn’t make sense to me.” $3.831 per gallon to $3.867 just a day later, He added that “the completion operations
Malinowski said “there’s no question that due to tight supply and steady demand. With of three wells, namely the Halfaya well 942,
MBS [Mohammed bin Salman], particularly the midterm elections less than 5 weeks away were carried out by the reclamation device
the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, shares and the country facing record high inflation belonging to the subcontractor of the Chinese
Putin’s worldview more than he shares ours. Democrats were already concerned that Bohai Company, indicating that” the aim of
He doesn’t appreciate American advocacy for economic concerns would help fuel the ability that process is to re-complete and revitalise
democracy in the world.” of Republicans to retake one or both chambers the Mishrif reservoir and raise the production
The New Jersey Democrat said the of Congress. The GOP is favoured to win a rate of the well by means of the electric
bill is “an exact copy” of a bill that Senate majority in the House of Representatives, and submersible pump, with a production capacity
Republicans pushed when Trump was in control of the Senate is a jump ball, with tight that ranged between 400-700 barrels per day,
the White House to give him leverage when races in a small number of swing states. as well as the completion and activation of
the Saudis were producing more oil to push Last month an effort pushed by Sen. Joe the Halfaya 1290 well by the subcontractor
the price down to harm U.S. production. He Manchin, D-W.Va., to include legislation Daqing Company, with the aim of completing
said GOP lawmakers at the time were on reforming the permitting process for energy the well in a multi-stage fracturing of the
board and the threat of pulling out military projects to a government funding bill was Al-Saadi layer and in nine stages, after which

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