Overview
/ Oil / Access
Chapter 1: USCENTCOM
The Central Command's area of responsibility (AOR) is comprised of nineteen nations stretching from the Horn of Africa through the Arabian Gulf Region into South Asia. Additionally, the AOR includes four significant bodies of water: the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Gulf of Oman. This region is the historical center of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures, and is characterized by regional disputes, limited water and food supplies, and population growth that exceeds development. A legacy of armed conflict and military rivalries has led to a proliferation of conventional and mass destruction weapons, threatening the already tentative security of the region.
Unrestricted access by the industrial nations of the world to the Central Region's vast oil reserves remains an imperative. Despite previous oil price shocks which caused many nations to temporarily pursue energy alternatives, no appreciable decline in the world's demand for oil is predicted in the foreseeable future. Oil remains a relatively cheap source of energy, limiting incentive to explore alternatives. The narrow crescent of land extending west from Iran and south to the United Arab Emirates contains over two-thirds of the world's proven oil reserves. With declining oil production in the U.S., Russia, and Southeast Asia, world dependence on Gulf oil is expected to rise from one-fourth today to about one-third by the late 1990's. Without costly major development of Russia's oil production capabilities, the world's demand for oil can only be met by the vast oil reserves of the Arabian Gulf region.
This growing global dependence on Gulf oil and the large volume of other trade through the region make unrestricted access to the area vital. The three strategic chokepoints - the Suez Canal, the Bab al Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz - are key to maritime freedom in the region. Control of any of these by a non-friendly power could seriously disrupt trade and restrict access to the region's oil resources. Consequently, it is vital that the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) which pass through these chokepoints are kept open. Unrestricted transit is not only critical to the international merchant fleets, but is also an imperative for the introduction of forces necessary to combat hostile actions which might threaten the oil fields themselves.
