An interesting strategic and tactical problem

[Preacherman]

I know we tend to look at strategy and tactics on an individual level here, but a recent article in FrontPage magazine has me thinking on a national level. Let's say the USA - or any other nation - is somehow forced to go into Saudi Arabia to take over the oil fields, but they've been booby-trapped to ensure that no-one can take over?

See this article (http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=18022) for a full discussion of the issue. To give you an idea:

Investigative writer Gerald Posner reveals something most extraordinary in Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Saudi-U.S. Connection, his book to be published by Random House later this month: that the Saudi government may have rigged its oil and gas infrastructure with a self-destruct system that would keep it out of commission for decades. If true, this could undermine the world economy at any time.

...

Saudi engineers apparently then placed explosives and radiation dispersal devices throughout their oil and gas infrastructure, secretly, redundantly, and exhaustively.

"The oil fields themselves, the lifeline for future production, are wired … to eliminate not only significant wells, but also trained personnel, the computerized systems that seemingly rival NASA’s at times, the pipelines that carry the oil from the fields …, the state-of-the-art water facilities (water is injected into the fields to push out oil), power operations, and even power transmission in the region."
Interesting problem! :what:

[FPrice]

Interesting problem!

For whom? Suppose we do go in and either purposely or accidentally blow up the only real source of income for the Saudis? I'm not sure that the ones who benefit from oil sales would like to have their easy income cut off, even if they do have billions stashed away. Remember, a billion just ain't what it used to be.

[Boats]

You'd have to do your best to ferret out the command and control and behead it. Maybe severing/jamming the commo for the system would be feasible as well. It is unlikely that the self-destruct sequence would be locally operable for fear of sabotage and equally unlikely that a local manager would have the authority or initiative to set it off absent approval from someone identifiable as the authority in Riyadh.

The most likely scenario is that this is a rumor propagated by the House of Saud and not an actual system. I don't believe the western oil companies, that have employees crawling all over the facilities in Saudi Arabia, wouldn't have reported on this type of system as it was built.

[Hardtarget]

Is this fiction? Really...are they stupid enough to jeprodize those oil fields on a "just in case" far fetched possability like that? Murphey's Law is always in effect...and if explosives are involved figure it x2. To be sure, if its rigged like that, and lightning struck, everything was to blow up...it would our fault. :what: Then the war would be ON. Good grief.
Mark.

[rwc]

Not too likely, but since we're playing "what if" -

Blowing the wells produces a big honking mess and a bunch of burning wells. By the end of the clean up after the first gulf war Red Adair (RIP) and his boys from TX were putting out and capping one well a day. They figured out some pretty trick techniques for cutting the ruined head off and capping it.

The risk of radioactive exposure would mean Red's boys would work slower, but since most of the work is done from the cab of heavy equipment they could still work in Hazmat suits and get the job done. As for reconstruction, you wait for one sand storm season to pass and a pretty good percentage of those radioactive particles will be in the Red Sea, Iraq or maybe Ethiopia. Tough sledding for everyone down wind, but the fields themselves might be workable in a season.

Rebuilding the distribution and control systems would take longer than the well heads. Worst case scenario you line up a bunch of poor truck drivers and you start by tankering out the oil with trucks.

[sm]

rwc,
Good Post!

I was thinking along the same lines.


Plan B : Set out picnic baskets close to the fields - let the Frogs...well you get the idea.

[strambo]

All the more reason to become much less, or even independant of, foreign (especially Middle Eastern ) oil all together. Then they can do whatever they want, herd camels I suspect, not much else to do there if nobody needs your oil. :neener:

I know we can't do this soon, but it is a long journey to independence from OPEC and we need to take bigger steps and more of them.

[The_Antibubba]

Interesting problem, but I seriously doubt that such a system is in place. The Saudis' biggest threat is not an invasion, but internal dissent, particularly from Wahabiism. To have welss rig to blow would give these men too good an opportunity to strike at the royal family. That isn't to say the Saudis' don't have a well-destruction plan, just that the explosives are not at the wells.

[Joejojoba111]

"The risk of radioactive exposure would mean Red's boys would work slower, but since most of the work is done from the cab of heavy equipment they could still work in Hazmat suits and get the job done"

I think that gamma radiation would go through a HAZMAT suit. I'm just quoting movies now, but I though that they put the suits on to keep radiatioactive dust out, and then they'd walk around with survey meters to measure the roetgens/hour and decide if it's 'safe' or not.



For the internal revolution, it's so bad that the Royal Family actualy gave some of the people the vote, on some issues. I think that Royal Families fearing revolution might plant explosives, it makes sense to me. Saddam did it right next door, "I can't have this? Then no-one can."

[stevelyn]

Interesting problem.

Take over the country and punch new wells. Problem solved.

Joejojoba111,

Gamma radiation although the most deadly, is only present during and for a short time after the initial blast. The lingering radiation would be from Alpha and Beta radiation in the dirt, debris and fallout (if it was a full nuke).

[rwc]

Joe,
I am certain I am using the wrong term when I said "hazmat" but there are environmental protection gear designed to provide protection from radioactice particles. This is not my area of expertise so others should feel free to weigh in (heck I haven't even "googled" it) but I studied this stuff twenty years ago and as I recall the risk is in making sure the particles don't go home with you either through inhalation or on your skin or clothing (particularly your shoes). My comment was directed towards the fact that to work a long time in a risky area like that requires a suit that has a cooling system since they are hot, heavy rubber mothersuckers. :) Riding in a big D Cat that's been hillbilly rigged with a water jet cutter and a big fire shield would give the operator a power source to run his suit cooler and let him put in as long a shift as his bladder can stand. :evil: And at the wages those boys earn (and I do mean earn) they'll put in some loooong shifts.

[Moondoggie]

Invade Switzerland, sieze the banks, and take our money back. That would give 'em something to ponder on for awhile. I'm not sure too many in the Saudi Royal Family still know how to erect a tent or handle a camel. They'd run to the negotiating table.

[entropy]

Switzerland is the last country on Earth I'd wan't to invade. Virtually everyone is armed, and if in the service, with their service (assault) rifle! :what:

The US used to be kinda like that :( , per a quote from Yamamoto:

"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." --Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, 1941

As for booby-trapped oil rigs: Nuke 'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure. :D

[GRB]

If oil disappeared you would see how quickly efficient alcohol burning engines could be mass produced. Just think of any surplus as liquid lunch!

[RevDisk]

I know we tend to look at strategy and tactics on an individual level here, but a recent article in FrontPage magazine has me thinking on a national level. Let's say the USA - or any other nation - is somehow forced to go into Saudi Arabia to take over the oil fields, but they've been booby-trapped to ensure that no-one can take over?

Common sense. Rumors floated around that the Swiss did (or still do) keep their vaults wired with explosives. Scorched earth policy. We lose, you lose.

If the emplaced explosives were controlled through a centralized command and control structure and we managed to quickly seize that C&C, it wouldn't matter. Protecting that much infrastructure is near impossible. Two or three well-practiced mortar teams could shut down a refinery. A volley-fire of RPG's will take out a pumping station or well. A small chunk of semtex will rupture the pipeline.

The only feasible protection is to put a very large kill zone near any facility. Any unidentified personnel coming within 200 miles of the oil infrastructure would have to be executed on the spot. Forced relocation of the locals would probably be required also. Moving the entire population base very far away from any oil fields or infrastructure. All workers at the oil infrastructure would have to be foreigners, absolutely no locals.


An invading force might be able to seize the fields and infrastructure, but it'd be near impossible for them to hold it. Look up how much oil is flowing out of Iraq these days.

"Learn the lesson my father, Shaddam IV, did not. It's not he who makes the spice flow that has the power, but he who can stop the spice flow."
- Children of Dune

;)