Chapter 925: Greed is endless (first update, please subscribe)
“Children hold gold, and everyone is a devil. Why there was no mining back then, the reason couldn’t be simpler—because it couldn’t be defended!”
Li Yian moved back, then flicked the inch-long ash from the cigar into the ashtray, pointed the red end of the cigarette to the map, and said.
“Six years ago, our influence was almost negligible, and the Middle East was beyond our reach. If we discovered a large oil field, even if we could save it, we would have to pay a certain amount of money. The price will be at least a big bite of fat from them."
Li Yian knows human nature very well. Although some fat looks very plump, not everyone can eat it. Yes, even if you take a bite first, others will take it away.
This kind of thing is inevitable. When there is no strength as a backing, others can take everything away from you by saying "Grandpa, I want it".
This world is realistic, and it is always based on strength. When you don’t have strength, you want to pick up the slack.
Don’t think about it, even if you picked it up, it was picked up by others.
"So, instead of doing this, it is better to put the fat meat on a plate and cover it with a lid. In this way, at least one thing can be guaranteed - I can't eat it, and no one else can eat it. Wait until the opportunity When it's ripe, open the plate and enjoy the piece of meat alone."
Li Yian looked at the map and said.
"Only in this way can we really eat it."
"So, Your Excellency, is the time now right?"
Of course Herman understands the principle of the law of the jungle, so he asked.
“When we enter Libya, can we also explore for oil in the Persian Gulf?”
“Of course!”
Li Yian said after taking a puff of his cigar.
"Weda stood aside, and all demons were sages! In the past, we did not have the strength to protect ourselves, but now, things have changed. They do not have the strength to challenge us, at least, not those oil companies! Even if Even if the U.S. government comes over, they will still be wary of us!"
The vision of the changes in power in Li Yi'an's mind made his eyes sparkle with excitement. Standing on the shoulders of historical giants, he knows better than anyone how high the offshore oil production in the Persian Gulf is. It is also a super oil field with reserves of at least tens of billions of tons.
Although the cost of offshore oil extraction is a bit higher, offshore oil can also reduce interference from land to the greatest extent, and the maritime power of Nanyang can provide certain protection when necessary.
In contrast, land has no such advantage.
"In this case, Nanyang Persian Gulf Oil Company will no longer have to be idle!"
Herman said.
“In the past few years, the market has been questioning why we have not conducted oil exploration and production in the Persian Gulf waters, which has even affected our stock price to a certain extent. Now we can finally give the market an explanation. "
"Well, it is true. We really need to give the market an explanation. Oil in the Persian Gulf needs to be explored and exploited, and the same is true in Libya."
Li Yian said with a smile.
"As long as we control these two areas, the future oil security of Nanyang will be fundamentally guaranteed!"
Although Nanyang itself has large oil fields, and the output has exceeded 1,500 million tons, and the output will be even higher in the future. Naturally, there is no shortage of oil. But no matter how much energy there is, who can have too much?
Moreover, the development of lithium batteries and new energy vehicles is only a long-term plan. Replacing petroleum with new energy vehicles is even more a vision. Whether it can be realized or not remains to be seen. In this case, we have to master several major Oil fields, it is still very necessary to ensure the safety of oil in Nanyang!
Not only is it necessary, it is even related to the lifeline of Nanyang's economy. After all, the "oil crisis" of the 1970s severely damaged the economy, which was directly fatal!
“What is the current level of our offshore oil extraction technology?”
Just when Li Yian was asking about oil extraction technology, on the other side of the world, in an office at the headquarters of the Arab American Oil Company, Andis cursed directly as he looked at the report that had just been sent.
“Damn, those damn bastards, are they trying to take away our company?” The reason why Andis broke through the defense was because this report was sent from Riyadh. The company's local manager there received information that Saudi Arabia was trying to further increase oil income taxes.
“It’s possible in the future!”
Sitting in front of the manager, Frank said.
"After all, human greed is endless!"
As a businessman, Frank understands human nature very well, and greed is the most basic human nature.
"They are really a bunch of greedy guys!"
Andis cursed loudly.
“As soon as World War II ended, those greedy guys tried to tear up our previous concession agreement and demanded a new agreement with us. In order to ease the relationship between us, we made major concessions. We agreed to increase the oil field usage fee to US$2.4 per ton, and we increased it by a full US$1.4! But even so, we failed to satisfy those greedy guys. The new agreement we signed only in 48 years! Two years later, the Saudi government issued a decree to implement the 50-50 principle, requiring foreign companies that exploit oil within its territory to pay one-half of all profits as income tax.”
As soon as he mentioned the past, Andis was in a state of rage. Now he really broke his guard because his free money was just taken away!
If he were in front of the station, he would not pay attention to the Arabs raising camels in the desert at all, but now, times have changed, not the past.
Listening to the manager’s complaints, Frank said.
“Manager, we all know that people’s greed has no limit. Nine years ago, they proposed to increase oil field royalties, and we agreed. Five years ago, they enacted a new law to take away took half of our profits, and now they're trying to raise income taxes,"
Looking at the manager, Frank said.
"Although our current profits are very considerable, after all, the cost of extracting oil in Saudi Arabia is equivalent to one-tenth of the cost of extracting oil in the United States and one-fifth of the cost of extracting oil in Venezuela, but with the With their never-ending greed, I think sooner or later, they will not only use the so-called law to take away most of our profits, but also take away our company.”
As a senior executive of the company. Frank's judgment is correct. Although in another world, Saudi Arabia has never implemented any "oil nationalization" policy and has not confiscated Western oil companies, they still continue to enact laws to increase oil taxes, little by little. Received most of the Arab American Oil Company's profits.
And starting in 1972, the Saudi king and government launched several years of negotiations with Aramco. As Saudi Arabia's influence in the oil market increases, it continues to gain more benefits in negotiations. After many stalemates and negotiations, Saudi Arabia finally regained complete control of Aramco in 1976.
Aramco officially changed its name to Saudi Aramco. What was once an American company became a Saudi company.
Although all this has not yet happened, in the short ten years after the end of World War II, Saudi Arabia's step by step pressure has made people feel their ambitions.
Frank saw this danger, and Andis also saw it. He looked at the secret information in front of him.
"In other words, a 10% increase in the income tax rate will not satisfy their appetite?"
Faced with the manager's question, Frank shook his head and said.
“At the beginning, we thought that $2.40 should be enough to satisfy their appetite. Two years later, we thought that 50/50 would be able to satisfy their appetite. Now it seems...”
Take out the cigarette box and take out a cigarette. Frank puts the cigarette on the table and puts it down. The lit cigarette has a red light on the end, burning slowly and steadily.
Frank said after taking a drag on his cigarette.
“They will only regard our concession as weakness! When we were young, in Texas, we all knew very well what the rules of the game were! At that time, if we were weak and gave in, we would lose everything. But... Now no one follows the rules of the game and they have been forgotten."
"The rules of the game!"
Andis pursed his lips and said.
“Those were the rules of the game in the past, but times have changed!”
(End of this chapter)