Chitta,
Mr. Brindaban Goswami is not knowledgable enough to comment on Halliburton's
business. The original Halliburton company was in oil field services business.
It acquired a company called Brown and Root from the engineering and
construction business. Brown and Root had done a large number of federal
government projects. Later Halliburton and another company called Dresser
merged. Dresser had both manufacturing and engineering/construction businesses.
One of the groups in the Dresser company was M. W. Kellogg, an internationally
known company in Ammonia, Ethylene and Refinery industries. Out of the merger
between Halliburton and Dresser was born a group called KBR (Kellogg Brown and
Root). Because of Brown and Root's expertise in executing government contracts,
KBR were selected to run the defense contracts in Iraq. I'll not comment on the
selection process and the accusations of price gouging against KBR.
Since then Halliburton has spun off the KBR unit and KBR is an independent
company now. Halliburton has got back to its original business of oil field
services. Despite the bad reputation Halliburton got from the Iraq war, no one
can deny that Halliburton has tremendous technical expertise in oil field
services. All major international oil companies seek the services of either
Halliburton or another company called Schlumberger when they drill for oil
and/or gas.
So there is nothing unusual about ONGC contracting with Halliburton for oil
exploration and drilling in Assam. Halliburton moved their headquarters to
Dubai because middle east is where oil and gas business will be for the near
future and I am sure there is tax benefit to the company. Dubai was selected
because it is a modern city and is business friendly.
So I don't think Mr. Goswami has any reason to cry foul. The contract must be
between ONGC and Halliburton, and Halliburton will just do what they are
contracted for. If there is any loophole for hanky-panky, that may be in Delhi,
not in Dispur.
Dilip Deka
Houston, Texas, USA
=============================================================
chittaranjan pathak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mahanta da
What is your comment on the statement by this Assamese politician on
Halliburton. Being a technocrat, American citizen you may be in a better
position to comment whether the politicians statement has any basis. Please
give us your comment on this.
Regards
Halliburton likely to explore oil
Entry may spell doom for NE: AGP
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 1: The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has alleged that the entry of US
company Halliburton, known for its involvement in building and maintenance of
military support bases for US Army in Iraq, into the North East India for oil
drilling would spell doom for the region. AGP chief Brindabon Goswami said, A
controversial company is being brought into the region. It should be stopped
immediately. He urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter, halt the
ONGCs move to give access to the US oil company into Asom and the North-east
and to conduct an inquiry if there was any kind of secret deal (kick back)
between any politician of India and the US company.
Talking to newsmen in the city today, Goswami linked the proposed entry of
Halliburton into NE to the East India Companys entry that had cost the country
its freedom.
Talking to newsmen in the city today, Goswami said that non-resident Asomiyas
also expressed concern over the entry of Halliburton, and the AGP would hold
talks with other political parties and organizations to make a united effort to
stop the move. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had proposed to bring
in Halliburton for oil drilling into the North-east as part of its proposed Rs
90 billion investment in oil and gas projects in the region. Basically an
infrastructure building company, Halliburton is engaged in engineering and
construction industries in the energy sector and managing logistics for
military operations, among its forays into various fields. It had come under
heavy criticism for its part in the Iraq war, where it was entrusted with oil
fields and providing logistic support to the US Army. The company is alleged to
have failed in fixing the oil fields, the primary responsibility assigned to it
in Iraq. The AGP claimed that oil drilling was never a
speciality of the company, and its proposed involvement for the purpose in the
North-east smacked of ulterior motives of those who awarded the contracts in
ONGC and Government.
There is also an allegation that Hallibuton was engaged in secret business
dealings with Saddams regime by selling Iraq oil production equipment and
spare parts to get the Iraqi oil fields up and running, Goswami said quoting
confidential UN records.
---------------------------------
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