Wikileaks - DCCCLVII
126910 10/24/2007 12:24 07LAGOS697 Consulate Lagos CONFIDENTIAL 07LAGOS667 VZCZCXRO7929 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHOS #0697/01 2971224 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 241224Z OCT 07 FM AMCONSUL LAGOS TO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 9287 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9517 INFO RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH AFB UK RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000697
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DOE FOR GPERSON, CGAY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2017 TAGS: EPET, ENRG, PGOV, NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA'S OIL REGULATOR ON SECTOR REFORM
REF: LAGOS 0667
Classified By: Acting Consul General Hutchinson for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (C) Summary: Nigeria's petroleum regulatory chief said the government will give its interests in oil production joint ventures to a newly formed national oil company. Costs for building the OK liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant have increased significantly and he said the plant's future is in jeopardy. End Summary.
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Oil Chief: Good riddance to NNPC
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2. (C) In an unusually forthright meeting with Econoffs, Tony Chukwueke, the Director of Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) talked about petroleum sector reform, the natural gas industry, his opinions about Indian oil firms and marginal oil field development.
3. (C) Chukwueke told Econoffs that he thought the current administration was "very inexperienced" in petroleum issues and he said all of the reform work had been done during Obasanjo administration. When asked how the new NNPC would be structured, he was vague, but he did say that after reforms were complete the government would be "rid" of the new national oil company. Current plans, he said, would give -- control frameworks." Germany also said it would like to hear more details on transparency measures like the liaison team arrangements reported in the press. U/S Edelman replied that these arrangements were still conceptual, but were on the table for elaboration if Russia takes them up.
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THREAT DISCUSSION CONTINUES
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9. (C) NATO SYG Jaap de Hoop Scheffer noted that the Allied threat assessment was agreed on October 9. Several Allies raised threat issues later in the NAC. Turkey said threats other than Iran (meaning at least Syria) need to be taken into account, with Spain pointing out that non-MD threats (WMD and otherwise) also need to be taken into account as Allies develop new capabilities. Canada asked whether the U.S. had made progress in narrowing the gap with Russia on threat perceptions, observing Russian threat assessments had been inconsistent and therefore less credible. In response, U/S Edelman said the U.S. had concerns about the potential of a Syrian missile program, but it was not as far advanced as that of Iran. He also said that the U.S. considers a wide-ranging homeland defense strategy necessary to address non-MD threats. On MD threat assessments, U/S Edelman noted that, while differences certainly still exist, even President Putin acknowledged a growing Iranian missile program whose reach was extending farther into Russia and Europe.
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ALLIES EXPLORE INTEGRATED U.S., NATO SYSTEMS
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10. (C) The Netherlands said it saw U.S. mention of an "integrated" U.S.-NATO system as a step forward with integrated rather than linked command and control as an important difference. They further asked whether a common set of rules of engagement was contemplated. LTGEN Obering stated only that the U.S. would give Allies visibility into the rules of engagement. Germany asked who would set the criteria to consider in the joint assessment of the development of the Iranian missile program and wondered who would participate in deciding that milestones had been reached. Bulgaria also asked whether Russia was interested in participating in addressing the short and medium-range gaps intended for coverage in the NATO system.
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MIXED VIEWS ON MD AT BUCHAREST
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11. (C) Looking forward to MD's status by the April 2008 NATO Bucharest summit, Allies welcomed LTGEN Obering's ideas on how the U.S. and NATO systems could be gradually integrated into one system in a series of program development stages. The Czech Republic and Poland said that they supported the U.S. European system's development and were proceeding with their respective bilateral negotiations with the U.S. at an expeditious pace. Canada observed that the U.S. proposals offered NATO a great cost saving as it tried to develop territorial MD. Allies in southeastern Europe most vocally keyed on the indivisibility of Allied security and the need for Allied solidarity, calling for further NATO-U.S. system integration endorsement by Bucharest. Turkey and the Netherlands also supported a U.S.-NATO combined system. Turkey was alone in raising continuing debris questions. Meanwhile, Germany, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium and France signaled the most cautious approach to the way ahead for NATO MD. The UK, Denmark and Italy were silent. 12. (U) This cable has been cleared by USD Edelman, A/S Fried, and LTG Obering. OLSON
