Well I have to say I am not familiar with this specific subject but if i had to guess it would all boil down to corruption and dollars. those that have money want more. i'm sure someone or some group of people stand to make a lot more money from just sitting on the oil, I think it would be naive to think that big business and government have our best interests at heart. Its american the dollar is king.
Simon

Thanks, Simon.

That was my thought.

Like the rest of us, the Oil Companies, and the government for that matter, will do what they perceive to be in their best interests.

Maybe this has something to do with it:

US pays $400 per gallon for gas in Afghanistan

By John Byrne
Friday, October 16th, 2009 -- 8:08 am

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the $400 figure to the Congressional Research Service. The number is from the Pentagon.

Last year, the price of gasoline in the United States topped the $4 per gallon mark.

This year in Afghanistan, the price has topped $400.

The stunning revelation emerged Thursday in a report from the Pentagon to House officials. The information conveyed offers new insight into a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, which found that the US spends $1 million per year for each servicemember on the ground in Afghanistan.

Why so much? The cost includes shipping, which sometimes includes the pricetag of a helicopter flight. Sending fuel by helicopter is...

Rest of the story is
here.

Nice find, Smiley.

I don't have nearly enough specific knowledge of the oil business to venture a guess at exactly what the reasoning is but I suspect for now they think there's more money and profit in the overseas work.

Isn't this how everyone works?

Corporation or individual?

I know we see lots of people seemingly working selflessly for "the group" but really, don't they do it because they think, "What's good for the group is good for me."???

Yes?