On September 1, amid ongoing civil war, France struck a deal with Libya’s interim rulers to secure rights to one-third of the latter’s oil reserves.
Libya is suffering a bloody civil war, escalating from an uprising against long time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Defiant rebels have been supported by European air force, namely France and England; without this aid, the rebels would surely have been defeated by forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The ethical issue of France’s subsequent actions is significant: the country of Libya has torn itself apart with months of violent clashes between compatriots. Amid this chaos and uncertainty, France has jumped in and made a deal with the rebels, securing rights to exploit 35% Libya’s oil reserves. France is clearly taking advantage of Libya’s disorganization; having rights to one-third of their oil is essentially being responsible for one-third of Libya’s primary source of income. As oil resources become more scarce in the future, power and world influence is slowly shifting to states controlling these reserves. France has therefore secured a hand in controlling a large portion of oil reserves, without much cost to itself and while taking advantage of a country that has been fighting itself and in a state of fear for months.
Original article: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-01/middle-east/29953280_1_oil-reserves-oil-production-libyan-oil-fields