I have seen so many threads about Italy finding oil in Libya in the 1930s but none about France finding oil in Algeria
Oil only cost about 1 USD per barrel in the 1930s. So oil field development is not really that profitable of an exercise during that decade especially for countries that have sufficient currency reserves and access to global oil markets.The million Franc question is how expensive this oil is. Given the Franc is a steady currency and France has full access to global markets,it may not be profitable to exploit the oil in the 30's if it looks like the US is going to be willing to provide access to it's production
Oil only cost about 1 USD per barrel in the 1930s. So oil field development is not really that profitable of an exercise during that decade especially for countries that have sufficient currency reserves and access to global oil markets.
The million Franc question is how expensive this oil is. Given the Franc is a steady currency and France has full access to global markets,it may not be profitable to exploit the oil in the 30's if it looks like the US is going to be willing to provide access to it's production
For what it's worth Algerian oil was being produced in small quantities in the 1930s and 1940s.Oil only cost about 1 USD per barrel in the 1930s. So oil field development is not really that profitable of an exercise during that decade especially for countries that have sufficient currency reserves and access to global oil markets.
The million Franc question is how expensive this oil is. Given the Franc is a steady currency and France has full access to global markets,it may not be profitable to exploit the oil in the 30's if it looks like the US is going to be willing to provide access to it's production
An equally pertinent question is how much did Algerian oil cost in comparison to the large quantities of British coal that France was importing?Oil only cost about 1 USD per barrel in the 1930s. So oil field development is not really that profitable of an exercise during that decade especially for countries that have sufficient currency reserves and access to global oil markets.
My guess is that the tankers would hug the North African coast until they reached the Sicilian Narrows so that they could remain within Vichy French territorial waters. Therefore, it would depend upon how scrupulously the British respected Vichy's neutrality.Germany still conquers France in 1940.
The Algerian oil will not be able to reach Germany due the Royal Navy. This might persuade the Italians into having a major naval battle with the Royal Navy which they would lose.
But in Germany's favor France would have larger oil reserves, which Germany would capture. That's going to be bad news for the Soviet Union in 1941/42.
Agreed, but it does make France fights on from North Africa timelines more interesting.Germany still conquers France in 1940.
This brings up the other S-word of alternative history, Spain!Germany still conquers France in 1940.
I am guessing the food could come from Ukraine so maybe Spain will joinThis brings up the other S-word of alternative history, Spain!
The Axis could supply Franco with the oil that he was asking for from Algeria. Though that still leaves the problem of finding the food that he was asking for.
Why does Algeria oil industry took off at 1958 but not in the 1930s ? I mean that the French have found oil in Algeria in the 1930s but why they don’t extract large quantities of oil? Is it because Algeria have a poor infrastructure like Libya?For what it's worth Algerian oil was being produced in small quantities in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Then it "took off" in 1958.
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Franco could use "neutral" Spanish tankers to transport oil Europe. Keeping his share and sending the rest to Germany.This brings up the other S-word of alternative history, Spain!
The Axis could supply Franco with the oil that he was asking for from Algeria. Though that still leaves the problem of finding the food that he was asking for.
Why does Algeria oil industry took off at 1958 but not in the 1930s ? I mean that the French have found oil in Algeria in the 1930s but why they don’t extract large quantities of oil? Is it because Algeria have a poor infrastructure like Libya?
The Great Depression did not stop Saudi Arabia and Albania from developing their own oil fields ...Extraction and refinement was more profitable at 3$ a barrel than 1, which made the explotation more commercially viable, and I think there was a general shortage of investment capital in the 30's and 40's. Something about an economic downturn and disruptions to the normal pattern of trade... though I hear there were a solid few years in which the number of tourists from Germany reached record levels.
Spain only had 16 tankers of 86,000 tons, gross in 1939. By contrast France had 48 tankers of 326,000 tons, gross and Italy had 82 tankers of 427,000 tons, gross.Franco could use "neutral" Spanish tankers to transport oil Europe. Keeping his share and sending the rest to Germany.
The Great Depression did not stop Saudi Arabia and Albania from developing their own oil fields ...
See Post 9 for a more thorough analysis, but in short...Mers el kebir... Any ship, even in the very improbable case of one under an American flag, carrying petrol for the nazis and meeting the RN is going to just one place...