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stevelevine · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

I'm Steve LeVine, author of the new book "The Oil and The Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea." It was just published by Random House. It's based on 11 years of reporting I did from the region for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Newsweek.

An excerpt is available on AuthorViews:
http://www.authorviews.com/authors/levine/excerpt.php
The excerpt is called "Azeri Oil" and follows the final negotiations for the development of Azerbaijan's massive offshore oil fields.

I'd just like to introduce myself and offer to answer any questions about the book, Caspian politics, oil, and what the future likely holds for this oil-rich region.

Steve LeVine, author
The Oil and The Glory (Random House)
http://www.oilandglory.com

snow hope · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:41 am Post subject:

Welcome to PowerSwitch Steve. Smile

I am not familiar with your book, I will look into it.

In the mean-time maybe you can tell us how much oil has actually been discovered and how much might be brought our in terms of barrels/day in that region.
_________________
"I want to help build a more responsible society here in Britain, one where we don't just ask, 'Where are my entitlements?' but, 'What are my responsibilities?' Where we ask, 'What can I give?' " David Cameron, May 2010

stevelevine · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

The Caspian republics have had a lot of attention from Big Oil since the early nineties. The companies have been developing fields with more than thirty billion barrels (offshore Baku's 5.6 b barrels; Kazakhstan's Tengiz 9 b barrels; Kazakhstan's Kashagan 13 b barrels; Kazakhstan's Karachaganak 7.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent).

As of now, they are exporting about 1.5 million barrels a day, a volume that will rise to about 5 million barrels a day in about a decade. Best Steve

http://www.oilandglory.com

Bozzio · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Steve,

Nice to hear from you and I must check out your book.

I'd like to ask a question - do you know anything about the proposed TAPI gas pipeline which will take gas from the Caspian oil fields down to Pakistan and India? I'm interested in knowing whether the war in Afghanistan is taking place to facilitate this.

Many thanks.

stevelevine · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

Hi Bozzio, the intervention in Afghanistan I think is entirely terror-based -- against the Taliban and against al Qaeda. Unfortunately merited projects like Tapi (and the 1990s-era Unocal pipeline) can't go forward until there is a genuine sense of order in Afghanistan, which doesn't seem likely any time soon. When that does happen, I think the other partners -- India and Pakistan especially -- will find common cause fairly rapidly. Thanks for the note and best, Steve

http://www.oilandglory.com

Vortex · Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 5842 Location: Silent running.

Hi Steve,

More generally:
- How long did the book take to write?
- Was it easy to get a publisher?
- Do you expect to make any money from it?

Thanks.

stevelevine · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

Hi Vortex, well I was based a long time in the
region -- 11 years -- in which I collected much
of the basics, got to know many of the players
and basically established myself. Then I returned
to the players in each of the countries and the main
companies and did long interviews to fill in what really
happened in each deal, diplomatic meeting and so
forth -- the back story -- and did the hard writing. The
latter period, the full-time book research and writing,
took three years. It was hard to find Random House,
but mind you this was before 9/11 and $90 oil -- I signed
in 2000. If I had this type of environment, it might have
been far easier. As for money, very few authors earn
any money -- Grisham, Rowling, King. But it's great having
the period between hard covers finally. Thanks for the note.
Best Steve

http://www.oilandglory.com

RenewableCandy · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 5957 Location: York

stevelevine · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

The karez system? There has been much written about them. I did so in the late 1980s when I was based out there. What specifically are you interested in? Best Steve

http://www.oilandglory.com

RenewableCandy · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 5957 Location: York

Oooh thanks just the name will do for a start. It's one of those things I feel I must mug up on though we're of course in a very different situation (no glaciers but no dry season either!) if nothing else in case people start saying things like "but without oil you wouldn't have irrigation..." etc.

Hmm looks as if it was invented in China...DiXia Shui just means Underground Water... DiXia Shui

/offtopic