Transcript Slide 1

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Stands for: The Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries
Produces half of the world’s oil exports.
Set oil prices for their own profits.
Made up of twelve countries.
Controls two thirds of the oil reserves in the world.
Manipulates oil production and oil prices around the
world.
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Currently OPEC has 1,064,288 million proven oil
reserves that are located all throughout the world
The headquarters are located in Vienna, Austria
The members involved in OPEC are: Algeria, Angola,
Ecuador, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the
Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates & Venezuela.
All the countries in OPEC are either in Africa, South
America, or the Middle East
Joined
OPEC
Algeria
1969
Angola
2007
rejoined
Ecuador **
2007
Country
IR Iran *
1960
Iraq *
1960
Kuwait *
1960
SP Libyan
1962
AJ
Nigeria
1971
Qatar
1961
Saudi
1960
Arabia *
United
Arab
1967
Emirates
Venezuela
1960
*
Location
Africa
Africa
South
America
Middle
East
Middle
East
Middle
East
Africa
Africa
Middle
East
Middle
East
Middle
East
South
America
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Main natural resource of OPEC countries is oil.
The oil is located underground and is used to make
gasoline.
More than three-fourths of the world’s oil reserves are
in OPEC member countries.
Saudi Arabia leads the OPEC countries in oil reserves
by more than two times as much as any other country
in OPEC.
OPEC countries are producing almost 30 million
barrels of oil per day.
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Goal of God – make sure they work for God.
Try to make everybody in the world Muslim.
A famous Muslim term is “jihad” which means holy war.
Will do things like suicide bombing to get closer to god
Muslims are the main religion of many countries involved
with OPEC.
• Monotheistic religion
• Will kill non Muslims so the population of the world will
have more and more Muslims
• Sharia – the sacred law of Islam
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Oil prices depend on the amount of oil produced by OPEC.
U.S. oil prices in the past have increased because of the oil
embargos created by OPEC.
OPEC wants money and profits controls the production of oil
in order to control the price of oil.
Oil prices have increased which has put the U.S. in debt when
they need to pay for oil.
The U.S. has to borrow money to buy oil that they can’t pay
back right away.
Americans have had to pay more for gasoline which has
caused most Americans to be able to buy less.
A U.S. problem with OPEC
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Drilling in the ocean could cause major oil spills such as the one recently
caused by BP.
As the gas prices rise from OPEC, the US feels forced to look for their own
oil and drill on land that has many natural resources such as in Alaska.
It causes major environmental damages including death of animals, plants,
fish, as well as the destruction of thousands of acres of forests.
Drilling for oil is an expensive and complicated process which can
experience many problems during drilling.
White house is trying to pass a bill about limiting the amount of drilling we
do in the U.S.
A U.S. problem with OPEC
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Much of the oil used by the U.S. comes from
countries that are members of OPEC.
This gives OPEC economic and political power over
the U.S.
The U.S. is afraid to create conflict with OPEC
countries in fear of causing oil prices to rise.
SOLUTION – Buy oil from non OPEC countries.
SOLUTION – To use alternative sources of energy
such as natural-gas-powered cars or electric cars.
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Solution for dangers of drilling in the U.S. and oil prices
The U.S. is trying to create more fuel-efficient cars so they
won’t have to buy as much gasoline.
Natural Gas Act for less imports of OPEC oil.
Congress will try to pass a financial reform bill about energy.
More solar and wind farms to create energy to reduce the need
for oil from OPEC.
Natural Gas Act would provide tax incentives to use domestic
natural gas as a transportation fuel instead of using diesel fuel.
Would create new jobs in the natural gas industry.
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Started with five countries in the 1960’s: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and Venezuela.
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Currently has 12 countries as members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and Venezuela, Qatar, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria,
Nigeria, Ecuador, and Angola
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Original purpose was to control oil prices. Changed purpose to
control oil production as way to maintain profits.
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Has grown in economic and political power due to its control of
much of the world’s oil production.
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The production of barrels of oil a day has increased
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The amount paid for one barrel of oil has increased
Oil prices however increased significantly between 2004
and 2008 but decreased sharply between 2008 and 2009.
Oil production rose sharply between 2002 and 2005 and
has stayed somewhat the same between 2005 and 2011.
OIL PRODUCTION
OIL PRICES
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More countries wanted to control oil prices and oil
production
Additional countries joined OPEC increasing its size
from 5 to 12 countries.
Changed purpose in 1980’s to controlling oil production
due to falling oil prices and lower profits.
Dependence on oil has risen dramatically since the
1980’s and OPEC has had to increase oil production.
The economics and politics of the world have changed
OPEC has changed to provide oil to all the countries.
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