The U.S., Cuban and Mexican governments began negotiations in July over how to divvy up a 7,700-square mile portion of the Gulf of Mexico known as the Eastern Gap. The ocean floor beneath the Eastern Gap is believed to hold large amounts of oil, but with no clear owner, drilling hasn’t been occurring there. Supporters of an oil drilling moratorium that covers much of the U.S. side of the eastern Gulf worry negotiations over the Eastern Gap could lead to Cuban oil drilling operations just on the other side of the country’s maritime border with the U.S. near the Tampa Bay area.
The largest portion of Cuba’s oil is supplied by Venezuela, but a weak economy there could impact the country’s ability to continue supporting Cuba with oil and could prompt Cuban leaders to expand their own oil exploration efforts. We’ll take a closer look at international law that governs maritime resources, negotiations over ownership of the Eastern Gulf, and possible impacts to Florida’s coastline in the future.
Guests:
David Guggenheim, Ph.D., President and Founder of Ocean Doctor/Ocean Explorer, Marine Scientist and Conservation Policy Specialist
Jorge Pinon, Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas at Austin
