Deutshe Bank & consulting firm PFC recently released their study on what major oil producers need to sell their oil in order to maintain spending on a balanced budget basis in order to prevent social unrest. The study compared 2000 with 2007, 08, and est. 09. At the top of the list is VZ which needs $97/Barrel 09 & $94 08 vs Saudi's $62 09 & $55 08. Russia $70 09. And this is Sweet Crude. All the other countries are also well over the current price of oil. The study goes on to state that land based oil storage is so full that oil tankers are being filled and just sitting at port until the oil can be shipped. The point was made that oil is going lower and lower as demand drops and yet these OPEC countries and others need to sell as much as they can or cutting social spending and risk unrest and the need for military action. We're seeing the beginning of this unrest and it will get worse. Hugo is probably in a worse poaition now than in the 02 attempted coup. Then it was the opposition, now it's the people and watch out if he trys to cut back on paying the army. He may not want to, but he needs to get at least the illusion of jobs coming and mining permits can be issued now. After being in this for 5 years, I;ve come to the conclusion that he always wanted to use LC & LB as a dangling carrot for Russia or China or any other country that could advance his Socialist/Communist/I'm the King program. He no longer has that carrot because of his dependence on oil and the need to keep himself from dangling from the end of a rope as has just happened to another dictator in the recent past. Although not good on many fronts, this global meltdown could very well be our and Kry's trump card.