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ment made on January 22, 1971.)
The chief reason for the optimism is
the tremendous output of the Sibe–
rian oil fields.
But there may be a fiy in the oil
weU for the Soviets. The Soviet
economy is still heaviJy dependent
upon the use of coal and other sol id
fuels, though by 1969. oil and gas
accounted for over 55 percent of the
total amount of energy used in the
Soviet Union. By 1980, the share of
oil and gas in the Soviet energy
market is expected to be over 75
percent.
In Western economies, there is a
correlation between the dynamics of
growth in industrial production and
oil consumption. Here, the Soviet
Union and its satellites Lag far be–
hind.
In the COMECON (Counci l for
Mutual Economic Assistance)
countries of Eastern Europe, the per
capita consumption of oil
is
only
about 200 to 300 kilograms an–
nually. Even if the Soviet bloc had
consumed 1,400 kilograms of oil per
capita in 1970, that would
still
be 20
percent Jess than the amount used
in ltaly. The obvious need to switch
to more modern fuels has been dis–
cussed in the Soviet Union.
Using More Oil
The point is that the Soviet Union
may find it is not totally indepen-
ARAB Oll-DRILLING RIG
in Kuwoit,
the third largest Mideast oil-producing
nation with the second largest reserves.
T
oconis.~
Mogum
PLAIN TRUTH May 1973