Word: bbl
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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South Africa is ahead of the U.S. in its development of synthetic fuel. For a country boycotted by most of OPEC and without its own oil reserves, necessity has fired innovation. Sasol now provides less than 10% of the 240,000 bbl. a day of oil that South Africa requires, but the country is spending $6 billion to build two more Sasol plants, which are expected to meet about half of its needs by the early 1980s...
Since the transactions reflect the real price that buyers are willing to pay, the deals are closely watched by OPEC members for signs that the cartel's long-term prices could be increased. Spot prices have eased from a peak of $42 per bbl. in late May to about $30 to $32 per bbl., but fears of production cuts have stopped the slide...
Oilmen also accuse Nigeria of unabashed price gouging. Though cartel members agreed in June not to tack surcharges on top of the maximum $23.50 per bbl. for their crude, Nigeria for weeks has been demanding a $5 per bbl. premium on as much as half of its exports...
Some companies, including Spain's state-owned Hispanoil, have refused to meet the extortionate price, but others may cave in soon if supplies grow much tighter. Late last month tiny Qatar had no difficulty auctioning off 3.2 million bbl. of crude for an excessive $34.30 per bbl. to Japanese importers as well as a Lebanese company, Gatoil International, for delivery to its Swiss subsidiary...
...nationalization last week of British Petroleum's exploration, marketing and production operations. The Lagos government declared that it was punishing BP for supplying oil to South Africa in violation of a Nigerian boycott, a charge that the company denies. The takeover deprives BP of an estimated 300,000 bbl. per day, but the Nigerian government is offering to sell the crude to any taker on the spot market, presumably including...