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WikiLeaks
Press release About PlusD
 
Content
Show Headers
(C) 72 MANAGUA 2307 (NOTAL) (D) MANAGUA A-102 18 OCT 72 BEGIN SUMMARY: PRESIDENT SOMOZA HAS MADE FUNDAMENTAL POLITICAL DECI- SION TO BUILD 150-MILE PIPELINE ACROSS NICARAGUA TO TRANSSHIP ALAS- KAN AND INDONESIAN OIL TO EASTERN US MARKETS. CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM HAS PRELIMINARY CONTRACT TO CONDUCT LOCATION STUDIES AND TO LINE UP FINANCING. SOMOZA INSISTS ON CONSTRUCTION OF REFINERY SIMULTAN- EOUSLY WITH PIPELINE PROJECT. A SOMOZA FIRM WILL REPORTEDLY GET SIZEABLE CUT OF THIS $700 MILLION PLUS DEAL. SOMOZA HAS BEEN VERY CAGEY ABOUT PROVIDING DETAILS OF PROJECT BUT INDICATED INDONESIANS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. NOTWITHSTANDING SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN EMBASSY'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS DEAL, EMBASSY BELIEVES PROJECT COULD HAVE IM- PORTANT STRATEGIC, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS FOR US. EM- BASSY REQUESTS COMMENTS AND AVAILABLE BACKGROUND INFO. END SUMMARY. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 STATE 299440 1. EMBASSY REPORTED LAST MAY (REFTEL A) THAT PRESIDENT SOMOZA HAD TOLD AMBASSADOR THAT HE WAS SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN BUILDING A TRANS- ISTHMUS PIPELINE BETWEEN SAN JUAN DEL SUR ON NICARAGUA'S PACIFIC COAST AND THE MONKEY POINT REGION ON THE CARIBBEAN. PURPOSE OF THE 150-MILE PIPELINE, HE SAID, WOULD BE TO MOVE ALASKAN AND INDONESIAN OIL TO US EAST COAST MARKETS. SOMOZA ADDED THAT HE HAD AUTHORIZED A MR. SAWYER TO FORM A CONSORTIUM OF LARGE AMERICAN FIRMS TO FIANCE THE STUDIES AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPELINE. 2. NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN NOTED IN LOCAL PRESS THIS YEAR, ALTHOUGH US PAPERS BRUITED POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A PIPELINE LAST MONTH. SOMOZA HAS BEEN VERY CAGEY ABOUT REVEALING DETAILS OF THE PRO- JECT ALTHOUGH IT HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIME IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS. 3. PROJECT'S RATIONALE WHICH EMERGES FROM TALKS WITH SOMOZA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING POINTS: --THE TRANS-ISTHMIAN PIPELINE WOULD GREATLY SHORTEN SHIPPING DIS- TANCE BETWEEN ALASKAN AND INDONESIAN OIL SOURCES AND US EAST COAST MARKETS WHERE DEMAND IS GREATES. --UTILIZATION OF A NICARAGUAN PIPELINE WOULD PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO USE OF PANAMA CANAL. --US ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO HAVE MISGIVINGS ABOUT SHIPPING ALASKAN OIL ACROSS CONTINENTAL US WOULD PRESUMABLY NOT OBJECT STRENUOUSLY TO NICARAGUAN ROUTE. --NICARAGUA IS A STABLE AND RELIABLE FRIEND UPON WHOSE SUPPORT US CAN ALWAYS COUNT. --SOMOZA HAS MADE FUNDAMENTAL "POLITICAL"DECISION TO PUT PIPELINE ACROSS COUNTRY AND IS OPTIMISTIC THAT PROJECT WILL BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED. 4. FROM SOMOZA AND OTHER SOURCES IT APPEARS THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME RECENT MOVEMENT ON PIPELINE PROJECT: --MINISTER OF ECONOMY REPORTEDLY SIGNED PRELIMINARY CONTRACT THIS AUTUMN GRANTING CONCESSION TO UNSPECIFIED CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM TO FINANCE LOCATION STUDIES AND TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CON- STRUCTION OF $700 MILLION PIPELINE AND RELATED FACILITIES. LOCATION STUDIES SAID TO BE UNDERWAY. --SOMOZA INSISTS THAT A REFINERY BE SET UP SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CON- STRUCTION OF PIPELINE, PRESUMABLY TO PROCESS SOME OF TRANSHIPPED OIL. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 STATE 299440 --CALIFORNIA GROUP INTERESTED IN PIELINE BUT NOT IN REFINERY. HENCE, SOMOZA AND GROUP SEEKING FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD BUILD REFINERY. (STANDARD OIL AND BRITISH PETROLEUM HAVE BEEN MENTIONED IN CONNEC- TION WITH OVERALL DEAL BUT THEIR PUTATIVE ROLES REMAIN UNCLEAR. --MARITIME MUNDIAL, S.A., A SOMOZA-OWNED FERRY BOAT OPERATION, IS TO BE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PIPELINE PROJECT. (IN 1972, GONE GAVE THAT FIRM EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO CONSTRUCT REFINERY ON NICA- RAGUA'S CARIBBEAN COAST. THAT ACTION PROMPTED CONSIDERABLE CRITI- CISM LOCALLY-REFS C & D.) --MIDDLE EAST "CAPITAL" IS REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN PROJECT. --SOMOZA HAS APPROACHED INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT SHIPPING OIL THROUGH PIPELINE; INTERMEDIARY WAS AN INDONESIAN GENERAL AND EX- PERTAMINA CHIEF WHO WAS CONTACTED IN MIAMI. (SEE ALSO REF B.) 5. GIVEN SECRECY SURROUNDING NEGOTIATIONS FOR PIPELINE AND REFINERY, IT DIFFICULT FOR EMBASSY TO ASSESS WITH CONFIDENCE FEASIBILITY OF PROJECT AND WHETHER IT REALLY ON TRACK. EMBASSY HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY SOLICITATIONS OF USG POLITICAL O FINANCIAL SUPPORT. EMBASSY UNAWARE WHETHER SOMOZA OR HIS AGENTS HAVE APPROACHED ALASKAN OIL INTERESTS ABOUT USING PIPELINE. ONLY OTHER NAMES WHICH HAVE COME TO OUR ATTENTION RE PROJECT ARE P.J. FRAWLEY, WEALTHY AMERICAN RESI- DENT OF NICARAGUA, AND BROWN & ROOT, ENGINEERING CO. WHICH INQUIRED LAST MONTH ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF LABOR FOR PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION. 6. NOTWITHSTANDING THE MANY GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROJECT, EMBASSY CONSIDERS THAT FOLLOWING ASPECTS MERIT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION: --THE STRATEGIC VALUE TO US THAT MIGHT ACCRUE FROM SUCH PIPELINE ACROSS FRIENDLY, RELATIVE STBLE NICARAGUA. --POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS ON PANAMA CANAL NEGOTIATIONS IF US INTER- ESTS INVOLVED IN NICARAGUA PIPELINE PROJECT. --ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR US IF AMERICAN FIRMS GET CONTRACT FOR BUIILD ING PIPELINE, ASSUMING $700 MILLION FIGURE CLOSE TO ACCURATE. 7. EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS AS WELL AS INFO WHICH ADDRESSEES MAY DEVELOP ABOU IDENTIFY OF CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM AND MR. SAWYER, AND ABOUT ANY INTEREST ON PART OF ALASKAN OIL PRODUCERS OR SHIPPERS, AND INDONESIA IN USE OF PIPELINE. THEBERGE UNQTE: ROBINSON CONFIDENTIAL NNN

Raw content
CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 STATE 299440 72 ORIGIN ARA-10 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 ( ISO ) R 66011 DRAFTED BY:ARA/ECP/ITE:SMAYFIELD:PAM APPROVED BY:ARA/ECP/ITE:SMAYFIELD --------------------- 069249 R 091705Z DEC 76 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY PANAMA AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 299440 FOLLOWING REPEAT MANAGUA 5474 ACTION SECSTATE, INFO JAKARTA, USCINCSO DTD 26 NOV 76. QTE: C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 5474 USCINCSO FOR POLAD E.O. 11652: GDS TAGS: BENC, ECRE, EINV, ENRG, PFOR, SENV, ID, NU, PN, US SUBJECT: NICARAGUA'S PROPOSED TRANS-ISTHMIAN PIPELINE REF: (A) MANAGUA 2345 (NOTAL) (B) 74 MANAGUA 4775 (C) 72 MANAGUA 2307 (NOTAL) (D) MANAGUA A-102 18 OCT 72 BEGIN SUMMARY: PRESIDENT SOMOZA HAS MADE FUNDAMENTAL POLITICAL DECI- SION TO BUILD 150-MILE PIPELINE ACROSS NICARAGUA TO TRANSSHIP ALAS- KAN AND INDONESIAN OIL TO EASTERN US MARKETS. CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM HAS PRELIMINARY CONTRACT TO CONDUCT LOCATION STUDIES AND TO LINE UP FINANCING. SOMOZA INSISTS ON CONSTRUCTION OF REFINERY SIMULTAN- EOUSLY WITH PIPELINE PROJECT. A SOMOZA FIRM WILL REPORTEDLY GET SIZEABLE CUT OF THIS $700 MILLION PLUS DEAL. SOMOZA HAS BEEN VERY CAGEY ABOUT PROVIDING DETAILS OF PROJECT BUT INDICATED INDONESIANS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. NOTWITHSTANDING SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN EMBASSY'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS DEAL, EMBASSY BELIEVES PROJECT COULD HAVE IM- PORTANT STRATEGIC, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS FOR US. EM- BASSY REQUESTS COMMENTS AND AVAILABLE BACKGROUND INFO. END SUMMARY. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 STATE 299440 1. EMBASSY REPORTED LAST MAY (REFTEL A) THAT PRESIDENT SOMOZA HAD TOLD AMBASSADOR THAT HE WAS SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN BUILDING A TRANS- ISTHMUS PIPELINE BETWEEN SAN JUAN DEL SUR ON NICARAGUA'S PACIFIC COAST AND THE MONKEY POINT REGION ON THE CARIBBEAN. PURPOSE OF THE 150-MILE PIPELINE, HE SAID, WOULD BE TO MOVE ALASKAN AND INDONESIAN OIL TO US EAST COAST MARKETS. SOMOZA ADDED THAT HE HAD AUTHORIZED A MR. SAWYER TO FORM A CONSORTIUM OF LARGE AMERICAN FIRMS TO FIANCE THE STUDIES AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPELINE. 2. NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN NOTED IN LOCAL PRESS THIS YEAR, ALTHOUGH US PAPERS BRUITED POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A PIPELINE LAST MONTH. SOMOZA HAS BEEN VERY CAGEY ABOUT REVEALING DETAILS OF THE PRO- JECT ALTHOUGH IT HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIME IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS. 3. PROJECT'S RATIONALE WHICH EMERGES FROM TALKS WITH SOMOZA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING POINTS: --THE TRANS-ISTHMIAN PIPELINE WOULD GREATLY SHORTEN SHIPPING DIS- TANCE BETWEEN ALASKAN AND INDONESIAN OIL SOURCES AND US EAST COAST MARKETS WHERE DEMAND IS GREATES. --UTILIZATION OF A NICARAGUAN PIPELINE WOULD PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO USE OF PANAMA CANAL. --US ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO HAVE MISGIVINGS ABOUT SHIPPING ALASKAN OIL ACROSS CONTINENTAL US WOULD PRESUMABLY NOT OBJECT STRENUOUSLY TO NICARAGUAN ROUTE. --NICARAGUA IS A STABLE AND RELIABLE FRIEND UPON WHOSE SUPPORT US CAN ALWAYS COUNT. --SOMOZA HAS MADE FUNDAMENTAL "POLITICAL"DECISION TO PUT PIPELINE ACROSS COUNTRY AND IS OPTIMISTIC THAT PROJECT WILL BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED. 4. FROM SOMOZA AND OTHER SOURCES IT APPEARS THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME RECENT MOVEMENT ON PIPELINE PROJECT: --MINISTER OF ECONOMY REPORTEDLY SIGNED PRELIMINARY CONTRACT THIS AUTUMN GRANTING CONCESSION TO UNSPECIFIED CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM TO FINANCE LOCATION STUDIES AND TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CON- STRUCTION OF $700 MILLION PIPELINE AND RELATED FACILITIES. LOCATION STUDIES SAID TO BE UNDERWAY. --SOMOZA INSISTS THAT A REFINERY BE SET UP SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CON- STRUCTION OF PIPELINE, PRESUMABLY TO PROCESS SOME OF TRANSHIPPED OIL. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 STATE 299440 --CALIFORNIA GROUP INTERESTED IN PIELINE BUT NOT IN REFINERY. HENCE, SOMOZA AND GROUP SEEKING FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD BUILD REFINERY. (STANDARD OIL AND BRITISH PETROLEUM HAVE BEEN MENTIONED IN CONNEC- TION WITH OVERALL DEAL BUT THEIR PUTATIVE ROLES REMAIN UNCLEAR. --MARITIME MUNDIAL, S.A., A SOMOZA-OWNED FERRY BOAT OPERATION, IS TO BE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PIPELINE PROJECT. (IN 1972, GONE GAVE THAT FIRM EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO CONSTRUCT REFINERY ON NICA- RAGUA'S CARIBBEAN COAST. THAT ACTION PROMPTED CONSIDERABLE CRITI- CISM LOCALLY-REFS C & D.) --MIDDLE EAST "CAPITAL" IS REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN PROJECT. --SOMOZA HAS APPROACHED INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT SHIPPING OIL THROUGH PIPELINE; INTERMEDIARY WAS AN INDONESIAN GENERAL AND EX- PERTAMINA CHIEF WHO WAS CONTACTED IN MIAMI. (SEE ALSO REF B.) 5. GIVEN SECRECY SURROUNDING NEGOTIATIONS FOR PIPELINE AND REFINERY, IT DIFFICULT FOR EMBASSY TO ASSESS WITH CONFIDENCE FEASIBILITY OF PROJECT AND WHETHER IT REALLY ON TRACK. EMBASSY HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY SOLICITATIONS OF USG POLITICAL O FINANCIAL SUPPORT. EMBASSY UNAWARE WHETHER SOMOZA OR HIS AGENTS HAVE APPROACHED ALASKAN OIL INTERESTS ABOUT USING PIPELINE. ONLY OTHER NAMES WHICH HAVE COME TO OUR ATTENTION RE PROJECT ARE P.J. FRAWLEY, WEALTHY AMERICAN RESI- DENT OF NICARAGUA, AND BROWN & ROOT, ENGINEERING CO. WHICH INQUIRED LAST MONTH ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF LABOR FOR PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION. 6. NOTWITHSTANDING THE MANY GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROJECT, EMBASSY CONSIDERS THAT FOLLOWING ASPECTS MERIT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION: --THE STRATEGIC VALUE TO US THAT MIGHT ACCRUE FROM SUCH PIPELINE ACROSS FRIENDLY, RELATIVE STBLE NICARAGUA. --POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS ON PANAMA CANAL NEGOTIATIONS IF US INTER- ESTS INVOLVED IN NICARAGUA PIPELINE PROJECT. --ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR US IF AMERICAN FIRMS GET CONTRACT FOR BUIILD ING PIPELINE, ASSUMING $700 MILLION FIGURE CLOSE TO ACCURATE. 7. EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS AS WELL AS INFO WHICH ADDRESSEES MAY DEVELOP ABOU IDENTIFY OF CALIFORNIA CONSORTIUM AND MR. SAWYER, AND ABOUT ANY INTEREST ON PART OF ALASKAN OIL PRODUCERS OR SHIPPERS, AND INDONESIA IN USE OF PIPELINE. THEBERGE UNQTE: ROBINSON CONFIDENTIAL NNN
Metadata
--- Capture Date: 01 JAN 1994 Channel Indicators: n/a Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Concepts: CONSTRUCTION, PETROLEUM INDUSTRY, PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION, PROGRAMS (PROJECTS) Control Number: n/a Copy: SINGLE Draft Date: 09 DEC 1976 Decaption Date: 01 JAN 1960 Decaption Note: n/a Disposition Action: RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date: n/a Disposition Authority: ElyME Disposition Case Number: n/a Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date: 28 MAY 2004 Disposition Event: n/a Disposition History: n/a Disposition Reason: n/a Disposition Remarks: n/a Document Number: 1976STATE299440 Document Source: CORE Document Unique ID: '00' Drafter: ARA/ECP/ITE:SMAYFIELD:PAM Enclosure: n/a Executive Order: GS Errors: N/A Film Number: D760455-1001 From: STATE Handling Restrictions: n/a Image Path: n/a ISecure: '1' Legacy Key: link1976/newtext/t19761257/aaaabxew.tel Line Count: '146' Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM Office: ORIGIN ARA Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Original Handling Restrictions: n/a Original Previous Classification: n/a Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a Page Count: '3' Previous Channel Indicators: n/a Previous Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a Reference: 76 MANAGUA 2345, 74 MANAGUA 4775, 72 MANAGUA 2307, 76 MANAGUA A-102 Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED Review Authority: ElyME Review Comment: n/a Review Content Flags: n/a Review Date: 26 MAY 2004 Review Event: n/a Review Exemptions: n/a Review History: RELEASED <26 MAY 2004 by ifshinsr>; APPROVED <22 SEP 2004 by ElyME> Review Markings: ! 'n/a Margaret P. Grafeld US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 ' Review Media Identifier: n/a Review Referrals: n/a Review Release Date: n/a Review Release Event: n/a Review Transfer Date: n/a Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a Secure: OPEN Status: NATIVE Subject: NICARAGUA'S PROPOSED TRANS-ISTHMIAN PIPELINE TAGS: BENC, ECRE, EINV, ENRG, PFOR, SENV, ID, NU, PN, US, (SOMOZA DEBAYLE, ANASTASIO) To: PANAMA GUATEMALA Type: TE Markings: ! 'Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006'
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