http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=a4860LBY342reulb-19991021&qt=%22year+2000%22+bug*+glitch*+y2k&sv=IS&lk=noframes&col=NX&kt=A&ak=news1486

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 22, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Venezuela unveils Y2K panel with 10 weeks left

08:16 p.m Oct 21, 1999 Eastern

CARACAS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Venezuela unveiled a presidential task force to combat the Year 2000 computer glitch on Thursday, just 10 weeks before the crucial changeover date.

Gustavo Mendez, head of the 17-member commission, brushed off reporters' suggestions that it would have little time to head off possible computer problems, arguing: ``We've already been working on it for a year.''

The world's third largest oil exporter, Venezuela has given little public attention to the so-called millennium bug, caused by the possibility that some computers will incorrectly identify the year 2000 as 1900.

Mendez calculated that ``critical'' systems such as public services were 90 percent ready to deal with the changeover. Unspecified ``non- critical systems'' were 65 percent ready.

Venezuela's state-run oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela has said that it has already finished updating its computer systems to deal with the millennium bug, and Mendez said computer systems in the power and airline sectors had been updated.

The U.S. State Department said last month that Venezuela was ``somewhat'' prepared for the Y2K bug but faced a ``moderate'' risk of power cuts, while a U.S. Senate panel mentioned Venezuela on a short-list of eight countries it felt were least prepared for the changeover.

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 22, 1999.

thanks for the update. The oil industry is in an area of its own and has all its own basicself enclosed support systems. Power, fuel, its own port, it is like an island in that country so it may be ok even if Venez.. sinks into distress. That is the report I read. That the oil island is ok.

-- zippy (zippy@pinhead.com), October 22, 1999.

Also see this thread from the summer...

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001KPu

"Venezuela hires psychiatrists to prevent Y2K panic"

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 22, 1999.

committee macht frei

-- apokoliptik (apokoliptik@yahoo.com), October 22, 1999.

Anyone know how much of the US's oil is imported from Venezeula?

I have read that it is over 50 percent, but I can't remember were.

-- semper paratus (what@ever.whatever), October 22, 1999.

The Venz are our 3rd largest supplier of crude oil behind S Arabia and Mexico at 1.2 million bls / day- 13.5% of our total crude imports. What's unique about the Venz is they also supply nearly 400,000 barrels a day of gasoline -20% of our refined products imports. They have some big mega refineries that supply a good deal of the Carrib and S. America

-- Downstreamer (downstream@bigfoot.com), October 22, 1999.

Hey, everyone, do you remember that post that Sylvia put up that included a letter to her from Georgia House Representative George Grindley? He is the head of Georgia's Y2k Task Force. I called him to ask if the letter was authentic and he confirmed that indeed it was. We spoke for about 30 minutes and the scariest thing that he told me was that Venezuela, in private, has already told the U.S. that they will not be exporting any oil to the U.S. next year. Our foriegn oil consumption during the 70's was 5%. Venezuela, by itself is now responsible for at least twice that. BRR

-- Omega Man (wishing I were H@rry Seldon.com), October 22, 1999.

semper:

You are confusing the "over 50%" figure, which is the % of total US consumption of oil that the US imports, with Venezuela.

The US consumes an average of about 17.5 million barrels each DAY. 9 to 9.5 MILLION of that is imported!

As a comparison, I know that Alaska provides about 2.0 million BARRELS per day of US supply--that is 25%!

Come January, we may find out that "Venezuela" is Spanish for "Sorry, no gas".

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), October 22, 1999.