Global Water & Energy Strategy Team

The Global Water & Energy Strategy Team (GWEST) is a consulting firm that describes itself as "a leading advisor to sovereign nations, integrated oil and gas exploration, production and services companies, construction companies and financial institutions on the politics of the global energy market, issues surrounding water, and other vital commodities markets," offering "expertise in the areas of political and financial analysis, market research, and risk management to provide cutting-edge, value-added strategies for clients whose business is focused on these markets."

Promoting Canada's tar sands
GWEST advises Canada's Alberta and Saskatchewan governments, and has promoted the tar sands oil there. GWEST president Paul Michael Wihbey predicted that the tar sands, along with "unconventional" natural gas in the Rocky Mountains, would "become the most important axis of the global economy of the twenty-first century."

In 2008, Saskatchewan government representatives at the North American Prospect Expo in Houston, Texas, pointed to a GWEST report that estimated the Canadian province has "2.8 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas reserves remaining. A map in the report shows an extensive pipeline and gathering network already crosses the area, including connections to systems that deliver gas to the US."

In a 2005 talk, Wihbey advocated for a "NAFTA II," a follow-on to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which "establishes a unified North American energy bloc, one that is less dependent on non-North American oil supplies." The San Antonio Express-News reported, "Wihbey believes the United States doesn't need as much foreign oil as it uses. Reserves in Canada and Latin America, he says, could largely replace Middle East imports. ... 'If you take Canada and Venezuela alone, that's three times what the Saudis have,' Wihbey said. 'The supply is there. There's plenty of oil. The question is, what type of oil?'" Wihbey's question acknowledged that tar sands oil is more difficult to refine, but he added that "the technology for that exists, and its cost is falling."

In 2003, GWEST's Frederick Cedoz proposed "an oil production agreement between Canada and the United States involving a floor price for Canadian oil. While many would find such incentive unpalatable, Mr. Cedoz argues that world oil supplies and prices are controlled by the OPEC cartel, which is hardly a champion of free markets. 'In this battle, you must fight oil with oil,' Mr. Cedoz says."

Water export
Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians, criticized GWEST for its October 2006 proposal "to export water from northern Manitoba to Texas through a pipeline."

In September 2006, GWEST's Paul Michael Wihbey said, "It is nearly inevitable that bulk water exports from Canada . . . will take place, given the political circumstances, within the next two to five years."

Terrorism, politics and oil
In a 2004 report co-authored with FirstEnergy, GWEST claimed that there was "a strong likelihood that 'large-scale maritime terrorism and piracy' could occur in coming months, aimed specifically at the global energy sector. A looming U.S. presidential election in November is the obvious potential catalyst for such attacks, the report says, as Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and its allies seek to undermine public support for the ongoing U.S. occupation in Iraq, and for U.S. President George W. Bush's so-called war on terror. ... 'Not only would prices at the American gas pump soar ... but the fixed operational costs of every business that consumes energy would rise as well,' the report adds."

Clients

 * Canada's Alberta Enterprise Group, "which includes Parkland Industries chief and Oilers governor Cal Nichols, car dealers Ron Hodgson (Ron Hodgson Pontiac Buick GMC) and Bob Bentley (Freedom Ford), and Caron Transportation owner Bruno Muller -- among others," hired GWEST in December 2007, "to increase multi-sector trade with the U.S."
 * Canada's Eurocontrol Technics Inc., a subsidiary of Global Fluids International S.A., expanded its contract with GWEST in November 2007, "to include Canada and the United States, in addition to the previously announced Gulf of Guinea region of West Africa." Eurocontrol's Petromark(TM) is a molecular marking solution for the oil industry.

Staff
As of February 2009, GWEST's website lists its principals as:


 * Paul Michael Wihbey - President (pmw AT gwest.net)
 * Frederick Cedoz - Vice President (fcedoz AT gwest.net); also an executive director at the Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies (IASPS)
 * Robert E. Heiler - Vice President (rheiler AT gwest.net); also an executive director at IASPS
 * Mark Broxmeyer - Vice President (mbroxmeyer AT gwest.net); also chair of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
 * John Lloyd - Senior Political Advisor (jlloyd AT gwest.net); also founder and President of the Lloyd Group, "a leading public affairs strategy firm headquartered in Washington, D.C." with such clients as ExxonMobil, Phillip Morris and Wellpoint Healthcare

Former principals

 * As of June 2004 : Terken Hacaloglu-Gupur - Director, Turkey and Central Asia, terken AT gwest.net. Also Director of Policy and Communications at the Assembly of Turkish American Associations.

Founding
GWEST was founded in 2002, Mark Broxmeyer, Paul Michael Wihbey and Emmanuel Egbogah. "Broxmeyer says he hopes the company, by using Washington contacts he has developed as chairman of the institute [ Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs ], can help 'banks, oil companies, different construction companies that are looking to do business in different parts of the globe. Right now, we're focusing in Africa,'" reported Newsday. "Broxmeyer said he met recently with some top officials in Africa, including the head of Sao Tome, an island nation off the central African coast that Broxmeyer says has 5 billion barrels of oil to sell and wants some business partners. Broxmeyer said he's talking to some major oil companies to arrange a deal."

Contact information
GWEST, LLC 2020 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #245 Washington, DC 20006 Tel: 202.589.1551 Website: gwest.net/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * African Oil Policy Initiative Group
 * Alberta's tar sands
 * Paul Michael Wihbey