Issue148 - page 293

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It is notable from the above that 38.3% of total oil exports from OAPEC
members in 2011 went to three countries, namely Japan, USA and South
Korea.
Turning to natural gas exports, there were five major exporters among
OAPEC members, namely: Qatar, Algeria, Egypt, UAE and Libya. Natural
gas exports from the five countries more than doubled over the period of
2000-2011. They increased from 84.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2000
to 202.8 bcm in 2011 of which 142.8 bcm were exported by tankers and
60 bcm through pipelines. Qatar’s natural gas exports soared during 2000-
2011. They grew by 21.6% annually to reach 130.4 bcm in 2011.
The second part of the paper highlights the top global chokepoints for
maritime transit of oil andnatural gas.Thepaper lists eightmajor chokepoints:
Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandab, Suez Canal/ SUMED Pipeline, Strait of
Malacca, Turkish Straits, Strait of Gibraltar, Panama Canal and the Danish
Straits. The volume of crude oil and petroleum products transported through
the afore-mentioned chokepoints rose from 25.1 million barrel per day
(mbd) in 2007 to 32.7 mbd in 2011.
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most strategic chokepoint with 17
million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through it daily
in 2011. Bab el-Mandab was the second most important chokepoint with 3.4
mbd flowing through it in 2011.
Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline are also a strategic route for oil shipments.
The total deadweight of crude oil, petroleum products and LPG transported
through this route in both directions reached 175.5 million tones in 2012.
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