Costa Rica, China to
Explore for Oil
Costa Rica and China
announced Friday they
have agreed to jointly
explore for oil and
natural gas in the Costa
Rica. It wasn't clear if
the proposed exploration
would be on land or
offshore.
The ministro del
Ambiente y Energía
(environment and energy
minister - MINAE)
Roberto Dobles told a
news conference with
representatives of China
National Petroleum
Corp., China's biggest
oil and gas producer,
that Costa Rica hopes to
guarantee its access to
energy, considering
soaring crude prices.
"We have the
responsibility to ensure
the development of the
country, always meeting
strict environmental
standards," he said.
The announcement was
immediately criticized
by environmentalists,
who argued the
exploration would
pollute the environment,
though Dobles said the
agreement stipulated
that any exploration be
done in a way that
protects the
environment.
He added that it may be
four to six years before
the project gets started
and that the exploration
process in general is
not as environmentally
risky as other aspects
of the petroleum
industry.
"The worst problems and
risks are in maritime
transportation and
vehicle emissions," he
said.
Costa Rican president
Oscar Arias supports the
use of biofuels and
renewable energy sources
to replace petroleum.
But Dobles said "you
can't substitute 100
percent of the petroleum
Costa Rica uses."
Arias signed the
exploration agreement
during a visit to
China last October.
Representatives from the
two countries are
expected to meet again
in February in China to
discuss the agreement
further. It includes
plans to modernize Costa
Rica's oil refinery so
it can become a regional
hub.
Environmentalists
successfully pressured
former Costa Rican
president Abel Pacheco
(2002-2006), to cancel a
1998 concession for oil
exploration Costa Rica
had granted
Houston-based Harken
Energy Corporation. A
lawsuit is before the
courts.
In June, Costa Rica
dumped its long standing
diplomatic relations
with Taiwan in
preference of China.
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