US Strategic Thinking in an Era of Energy Self Sufficiency
With the United States possibly becoming self sufficient in oil and natural gas, a profound change in its strategic thinking is bound to take place.
- R. S. Kalha
- May 08, 2012
With the United States possibly becoming self sufficient in oil and natural gas, a profound change in its strategic thinking is bound to take place.
The discovery of extracting unconventional (shale) gas through hydraulic fracturing has revolutionised the gas industry in the US and has given rise to a debate over whether it has the potential to reverse the emerging geopolitical equations in the global energy sector which was hitherto seen to be tilting in favour of the conventional energy producers.
At the core of the Kashmiri discourse on the shortage of power is the distribution of water resources that was agreed to between India and Pakistan through the instrumentality of the Indus Water Treaty.
All China has to do is to purchase Iranian oil and off-set this against a supply of essential consumer goods from China to Iran and settle the accounts in Chinese Yuan.
In order to meet its energy demands, China is constructing oil and gas pipelines in Myanmar, almost reaching to the seashores of Bay of Bengal.
The oil-rich Middle East region is always seen as a politically volatile region, but it has been the source of crude oil supply to all major consumers worldwide for decades. The article makes an empirical analysis of the geopolitical risk of India's diversification portfolio, which is skewed towards the Middle East.
When a resource-deficient country becomes industrialised lifestyles become increasingly energy intensive, compelling it to seek resources overseas.
Implementing the necessary reforms in Pakistan’s power sector requires able leadership and internal stability as well as a conducive and transparent environment for attracting investment.
China is pursuing an energy policy to alleviate its import dependence, diversify the sources and routes of imported oil and prepare for supply disruption. China's import of hydrocarbons is growing rapidly. Besides sea transport from West Asia and other oil rich countries of both crude and liquefied natural gas, China has also identified diverse import routes for oil and gas by overland pipelines. Some projects are now complete and many are under construction or in the planning stage.
China’s conduct on the Chunxiao issue indicates that it may go ahead with plans regardless of a pending dispute when a vital strategic goal has to be achieved.



