{ "id": "R41522", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R41522", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 416413, "date": "2011-11-28", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:27:26.070200", "title": "Cuba\u2019s Offshore Oil Development: Background and U.S. Policy Considerations", "summary": "Cuba is moving toward development of its offshore oil resources. While the country has proven oil reserves of just 0.1 billion barrels, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that offshore reserves in the North Cuba Basin could contain an additional 4.6 billion barrels of undiscovered technically recoverable crude oil. The Spanish oil company Repsol, in a consortium with Norway\u2019s Statoil and India\u2019s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, is expected to begin offshore exploratory drilling in early 2012, and several other companies are considering such drilling. At present, Cuba has six offshore projects with foreign oil companies. If oil is found, some experts estimate that it would take at least three to five years before production would begin. \nIn the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, some Members of Congress and others have expressed concern about Cuba\u2019s development of its deepwater petroleum reserves so close to the United States. They are concerned about oil spill risks and about the status of preparedness and coordination in the event of an oil spill. Dealing with these challenges is made more difficult because of the long-standing poor state of relations between Cuba and the United States. If an oil spill did occur in the waters northwest of Cuba, currents in the Florida Straits could carry the oil to U.S. waters and coastal areas in Florida, although a number of factors would determine the potential environmental impact. If significant amounts of oil did reach U.S. waters, marine and coastal resources in southern Florida could be at risk.\nThe Obama Administration has been making efforts to prepare for a potential oil spill in Cuban waters that could affect the United States. This has included: updating oil spill area contingency plans covering Florida and developing a broader offshore drilling response plan; engaging with Repsol over its oil spill response plans (including plans to inspect the oil rig that Repsol will use); and licensing U.S. companies to provide personnel and export equipment needed for oil spill preparedness and response. Some energy and policy analysts have called for the Administration to ease regulatory restrictions on the transfer of U.S. equipment and personnel to Cuba for oil spill preparedness and response. Some have also called for direct U.S.-Cuban government cooperation to minimize potential oil spill damage, looking at U.S. cooperation with Mexico as a potential model as well as information sharing and cooperation through multilateral channels under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. In contrast, some policy groups call for the United States to focus on preventing Cuba from engaging in offshore oil exploration altogether.\nIn the 112th Congress, five legislative initiatives have been introduced taking varying approaches toward Cuba\u2019s offshore oil development, and there have been two oversight hearings. H.R. 372 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to deny oil leases and permits to those companies that engage in activities with the government of any foreign country subject to any U.S. government sanction or embargo. S. 405, among its provisions, would require the development of oil spill response plans for nondomestic oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, including recommendations for a joint contingency plan with Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. H.R. 2047 would impose visa restrictions on foreign nationals and economic sanctions on companies that help facilitate the development of Cuba\u2019s offshore petroleum resources. S. 1836 and H.R. 3393 would provide that foreign offshore oil developers would be liable for damages from oil spills that enter U.S. waters. \nThis report is current through November 2011. For further developments and the final status of legislative initiatives discussed in this report, see CRS Report R41617, Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41522", "sha1": "1144f59f020588654590c6fc07d7ee5f5424e88f", "filename": "files/20111128_R41522_1144f59f020588654590c6fc07d7ee5f5424e88f.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41522", "sha1": "41e9ed2a638aa8538dee60b4faa6f95ba5a91dfc", "filename": "files/20111128_R41522_41e9ed2a638aa8538dee60b4faa6f95ba5a91dfc.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc96680/", "id": "R41522_2011Jul21", "date": "2011-07-21", "retrieved": "2012-08-07T13:52:45", "title": "Cuba's Offshore Oil Development: Background and U.S. Policy Considerations", "summary": "This report looks at the background of Cuba's oil industry, and also three legislative initiatives introduced by the 112th Congress which take different approaches toward Cuba's offshore oil development.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110721_R41522_727eb3f20636120ee70ecf3e971dc3425606c395.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110721_R41522_727eb3f20636120ee70ecf3e971dc3425606c395.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Submarine oil well drilling", "name": "Submarine oil well drilling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Oil well drilling", "name": "Oil well drilling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Cuba -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Cuba -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cuba", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cuba" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc40111/", "id": "R41522_2011May20", "date": "2011-05-20", "retrieved": "2011-08-27T10:13:38", "title": "Cuba\u2019s Offshore Oil Development: Background and U.S. Policy Considerations", "summary": "This report first examines Cuba\u2019s oil sector, including current production and consumption levels.\r\nIt then looks at Cuba\u2019s offshore development, including the Repsol project, other offshore\r\nprojects involving state-owed foreign oil companies, and the outlook for Cuba\u2019s offshore oil\r\nproduction. The report then analyzes considerations for the United States raised by Cuba\u2019s\r\noffshore oil development, examining oil spill risks and environmental dangers if spilled oil\r\nreaches U.S. waters, the status of disaster coordination between the United States and Cuba, and\r\npotential approaches on the issue. The report then examines the debate over broader U.S.\r\ninvolvement in Cuba\u2019s offshore oil development, and touches on two outstanding boundary issues\r\nrelated to Cuba\u2019s offshore oil development. Finally, the report examines legislative initiatives that\r\nhave been advanced to deal with Cuba\u2019s offshore oil development.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110520_R41522_9d145056a34e9ab2b4377db9821d222dce88488b.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110520_R41522_9d145056a34e9ab2b4377db9821d222dce88488b.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Petroleum", "name": "Petroleum" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Submarine oil well drilling", "name": "Submarine oil well drilling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Government ownership", "name": "Government ownership" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc490948/", "id": "R41522_2010Nov29", "date": "2010-11-29", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "Cuba's Offshore Oil Development: Background and U.S. Policy Considerations", "summary": "This report first examines Cuba's oil sector, including current production and consumption levels. It then looks at Cuba's offshore development, including the Repsol project, other offshore projects involving state-owed foreign oil companies, and the outlook for Cuba's offshore oil production. The report then analyzes considerations for the United States raised by Cuba's offshore oil development, examining oil spill risks and environmental dangers if spilled oil reaches U.S. waters, the status of disaster coordination between the United States and Cuba, and potential approaches on the issue. The report then examines the debate over broader U.S. involvement in Cuba's offshore oil development, and touches on two outstanding boundary issues related to Cuba's offshore oil development. Finally, the report examines legislative initiatives that reflect two contrasting policy approaches toward Cuba's offshore oil development - one would authorize U.S. investment in the sector, and the other would not affect current prohibitions on U.S. firms' economic dealings with Cuba and would impose sanctions on foreign companies and individuals who support the development of Cuba's petroleum resources.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20101129_R41522_7451ce28bbfc80e587b98c8a552afcd0585fcbff.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20101129_R41522_7451ce28bbfc80e587b98c8a552afcd0585fcbff.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Submarine oil well drilling", "name": "Submarine oil well drilling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Oil well drilling", "name": "Oil well drilling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Cuba -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Cuba -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cuba", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cuba" } ] } ], "topics": [] }