Untapped: The Scramble for Africa's Oil (Hardcover)

by John Ghazvinian (Author) "I BET YOU DON'T dare touch the salad..." (more)
Key Phrases: oilfield trash, ooo naira, true federalism, Sao Tomé, Equatorial Guinea, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
With American relations in the Middle East on shaky ground, the U.S. government and the petroleum industry have turned to Africa as a new source of oil, investing more than a billion dollars a year in the continent since 1990. China and India are also looking to African crude oil, which is "lighter" and "sweeter" than its Arab counterpart and thus requires less costly refining, to fuel their booming economies. So Ghazvinian, an Oxford historian armed with "a suitcase full of notepads and malaria pills, and a sweaty money belt stuffed with $100 bills," toured a dozen oil-producing nations to see how they'd been affected by the oil boom. What he finds is internal strife: in Nigeria, the only thing that keeps one group of interview subjects from assaulting him is that he doesn't work for Shell. Later, an official in the "self-parodying burlesque of a tin-pot kleptocracy," Equatorial Guinea, makes a not-so-veiled threat after soliciting a bribe falls through. Even more stable nations have their problems: in Gabon the national economy was so transformed by oil that the government has to import most of its food from neighboring countries. Ghazvinian's ground-level interviews bring perspective to the chaos, though readers may wish for a map to follow his path through the unfamiliar territory. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The possibility of Africa as a greater source of oil, and a way to reduce dependence on the Middle East, raises questions about the potential at the heart of this continent so associated with despair and human suffering. Historian Ghazvinian provides a historical overview of oil extraction from both Nigeria and Angola, the major oil producers in Africa to date. He explores the relationship between these two nations with the major oil companies, the unsettling ethnic conflicts and imbalances in economic development, and the countries with lesser but active oil production, including Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. Ghazvinian explores the speculative offshore drilling in other nations and concerns about their lack of sophistication and undue dependence on Texas and British companies. Noting the lessons of the past, he raises concerns of African nations suffering the "curse of oil" with uneven development. He also explores China's readiness to play an aggressive role in Africa to assure access to these potential oil reserves, and the broader implications for competition with the West. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt; 1 edition (April 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151011389
• ISBN-13: 978-0151011384
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #375,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Writing On A Timely Topic, March 31, 2007

By	Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (Port Orford, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I regret having to say this at the outset. I suspect most readers browsing a bookstore's shelves will look at the title of this book and simply pass it by. And this is unfortunate for two reasons. First, because, like it or not, the production of oil is of utmost concern to the world and especially the United States and Europe. Second, the book itself, "Untapped: The Scramble for Africa's Oil," by John Ghazvinian, is extremely well written, as well as vitally informative.

Anyone who keeps up on current events knows that the situation in the Middle East is growing increasingly unstable and violent. For a long time, this area has also been the most significant source of oil for the Western world. And the West, after all, literally runs on oil. We may not like our dependence on foreign oil, but we do have a very personal attachment to all the goodies that petroleum products bring into our lives. Short of a concerted conservation effort on the part of the public, or a relaxation on the part of committed environmentalists to their anti-drilling policies, or (heaven help us!) an extremely large tax on gasoline and other petro-products to discourage consumers, little will probably be or can be done to resolve the current crisis. So, for the most part, we will remain dependent on foreign oil for the foreseeable future.

Ghazvinian, in his book, takes our focus off of the Middle East and forces us to look at Africa as a source of oil. (Africa, in this context, is the area south of the Sahara Desert.) It has been known for a long time, according to Ghazvinian, that Africa is rich in oil. The problem has been the cost of tapping it and bringing it into production. In order to determine what is going on in Africa today regarding this quest for oil, Ghazvinian journeyed through twelve African countries interviewing all sorts of people from warlords to religious missionaries, from oil-workers to corporate executives, from petroleum scientists to just plain ordinary men and women. His journey is sometimes fraught with danger, often includes a touch of the humorous, is unusually enlightening, and thanks to Ghazvinian's eye for detail, always informative.

But why should we focus on Africa? And why now? Why the interest and why the hype that is now being displayed by some observers, including politicians as well as those in the oil industry itself? Ghazvinian provides this clue: "The answer has very little to do with geology. Africa's significance as an oil 'play' ... lies beyond the number of barrels that may or may not be buried under its cretaceous rock. Instead, what makes the African oil boom interesting to energy-security strategists in both Washington and Europe (and, increasingly, Beijing) is a series of serendipitous and unrelated factors that, together, tell a story of unfolding opportunity." The author then goes on to note numerous advantages, "attractive attributes," in favor of African oil, concluding that "African oil is cheaper, safer, and more accessible than its competitors, and there seems to be more of it every day."

So, Ghazvinian's adventure in Africa begins. And what an adventure it is! From Nigeria to Gabon, from the Republic of Congo to Angola, from Equatorial Guinea to the "maybe-paradise" of São Tomé and Principe (where the author couldn't wait to try the chocolate), the encounters that Ghazvinian relates, both "official" and personal, are what true adventure stories are made of. If a work of nonfiction can be described as a "page-turner," this one certainly qualifies. It was difficult to put it aside, once I started reading his book, for the more mundane tasks of cooking dinner, cleaning the house, or checking my e-mail. I don't say that about many works of nonfiction.

Ghazvinian, however, has a knack for writing excellent prose. Although an academic himself -- he has a doctorate in history from Oxford and is currently a visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania -- the text flows easily across the page and the writing is not the least bit "academic." I want to stress that this is not a book merely for the specialist in oil policy, or one of interest only to academics who study politics, history, geography, or allied disciplines, or that it is written for the scholarly class (whatever that is!). The ordinary reader will find "Untapped" immensely readable and its subject-matter extremely important, particularly since the future of the oil industry and its ability to deliver the "black gold" that is so vital to modern life, is going to have a great impact on the average person's pocketbook, as well as quality of life.

While most Westerners, I suspect, are not all that familiar with the geography of the continent of Africa, the book has a double-sided map of the African regions through which Ghazvinian traveled printed on the inside front and back covers of the book to aid the reader in following the journey. There is also "A Note on Sources and Suggested Further Reading" section for those readers who want to pursue the subject further. A helpful "Index" of topics is also provided. All in all, this is an important book and I highly recommend it to all those who want to keep up with what's going on in the world today and especially those concerned with the future of the American economy and of where the "oil crisis" may be heading.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing: heavy on anecdotes rather than analysis, May 29, 2007

By	Saleem Ali (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This racy yet rather trite book joins a growing genre of volumes about the oil industry and its global influence. The overall tone is reminiscent of Michael Klare or Thomas Friedman's work, though with less literary or academic polish. The narrative reads like a series of capers by the author as he traveled across Africa's oil countries that convinced him that the oil industry is a menace and not a messiah. Even though the author has a doctorate in history from Oxford, this book has little analysis or guidance for Africa's oil economies and joins a sorry list of itinerant gloom-mongering polemics. If there is any doubt about the author's strong normative positions on the matter, consider the following quotations from the introduction (p. 6): "By the end of the five-day congress, only a red-assed baboon could have failed to appreciate the take-home message to the international oil industry: Africa: come get it!" Such rhetoric is likely to generate more heat than light on the matter.

Clearly Africa's oil economies have serious challenges but they deserve careful analysis and solutions. Ghazvanian book does not consider for example, that Equatorial Guinea was a basket case of poor governance and corruption even before oil was found. If anything, there is now greater scrutiny over what is going on in Malabo. The author's brief sojourn in Gabon does not consider the fact that the country has more preserved forests per unit area than any other central African country because the oil sector reduced the need for large-scale timber harvesting. The oil industry certainly needs to be held accountable for its past follies but we need to consider development for communities in its entirety and approach the matter with nuance and care. Narratives such as this throw the baby out with the bathwater. Clearly the author has the credentials to be a fine writer - unfortunately, he has not done justice to this vital topic and was more concerned with literary amusement and shock-value than in real reform.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good information and good writing, April 7, 2007

By	M. L Lamendola (Merriam, KS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The first thing that struck me about this book is that Ghazvinian has a gift for writing. In a market swamped with books that exemplify poor writing, that's saying a lot. But it's not the only reason to read this book.

Oil is one of those topics that is frequently abused with misdirection, misinformation, and misconceptions. So, I grudgingly agreed to read and review this book. After reading it, I though of a new twist on an old adage. Don't judge a book by its topic. I have to give this book high marks, all the way around.

One of the common misconceptions about oil is that most of it is in the Middle East and Central America. The truth is that Africa has vast amounts of oil that we are only beginning to discover. Ghazvinian provides some startling statistics on the offshore reserves alone.

Another common misconception is that any country with large oil reserves will also have great wealth. Actually, oil can--and often does--impoverish a country. Ghazvinian explains why, and provides detailed accounts of how this actually happened in case after case. The devastating effects of mismanagement following the discovery of oil, are unfortunately, the lead story of every country on the west coast of Africa.

The United States now imports most of its oil. Most people do not realize that if Americans made a few minor adjustments, the United States could be a net exporter of oil. Instead, Americans drive gas guzzlers and take unnecessary trips. This boosts the international demand for oil, and that demand is now escalating even faster as China and India ramp up their economies.

Even fewer people realize that the cost of extracting the oil to meet the demand goes far beyond the cost of equipment and oil company salaries. Everybody in an "oil rich" nation wants the "free ride" that purportedly comes with having oil in one's backyard. Tiny-minded "leaders" of oil-rich nations engage in what economists call "rent-seeking behavior," which leads to a distorted and counterproductive attitude toward managing every aspect of the nation's economy and resources. This results in a great deal of tension and illicit profiteering, plus the rise of a parasite class that makes its host quite ill. The abuses, pain, and suffering don't have to happen, but they do.

Ghazvinian doesn't propose any solutions, which is something I commend him on. He doesn't pretend to be an expert. Instead, he describes exactly what he sees going on and digs a bit deeper to give the reader the important background information so that understanding and proper perspective are possible.

No help from politicians
The extraction, transportation, and distribution of oil has become highly politicized. Unfortunately, this means politicians are heavily involved and that is never a good thing. For example, consider the USA. We have 435 Congressmen drawing nearly $200,000 a year each in salaries. They are completely out of touch with 90% of the people they "represent," partly because of the enormous income differential.

They constantly run for election, which means leaves zero time to do anything of value. They have no time to learn about the issues, much less "represent" the people who suffer from the bone-headed legislation they produce. They propose "solutions" based on polls of uninformed people or based on what financial supporters "suggest."

Their "energy policy" proposals range from the absurd to the merely pointless. If there is evidence that our politicians serve any purpose other than to hand out money to special interest groups, it's extremely well-hidden. An informed electorate, in theory, could begin to hold politicians accountable and actually have representation in the legislature.

Yet, expecting a sensible oil policy from Congress is both naive and hopeless. After all, this is the same bunch that have been tinkering with the federal tax code for nearly a century and still have an unconscionable mess. Americans are saddled with a 65,000 page code and one of the most hated and corrupt government agencies ever to exist.

Progress on the oil problem, especially with demand skyrocketing due to China and India, has to begin with ordinary Americans. Just as one example, consider that 80% of American cars have a fuel-wasting automatic transmission while in Europe only 20% of cars do. Americans can easily cut oil consumption by half.

Where we're headed
Perhaps if most Americans understood where oil comes from and the true costs involved, we might take it upon ourselves to be responsible about how we use it. Perhaps Ghazvinian's book will help bring about this change.

Ghazvinian doesn't make any predictions. But he provides such a clear picture of the situation in Africa that the reader can be fairly confident things are not going to improve any time soon. With demand on a steep upward trajectory, there's no doubt that more oil will be extracted from Africa. Most if it will be extracted offshore, which will help mitigate some of the negatives. But given that the institutional and cultural deficiencies responsible for the present state of misery show no signs of correction, we can't expect things to just work out as if by magic.

I think it's great any time someone introduces accurate information into a highly charged environment of disinformation and opportunism. That's exactly what Ghazvinian has done with this factual and well-written book. People who read this book will be better off for having done so.