Why Cuba's Dreams of Major Oil Discoveries Might Come True

Recent estimates suggest that the island could move into the petroleum big leagues

HAVANA

Cuba is one of the biggest wild cards in the Western Hemisphere’s energy outlook. It is also the most politically sensitive. The nearly half-century-old U.S. embargo against the Communist country means that American energy companies and consumers cannot partake in Cuba’s oil business. Even foreign firms using drilling technology of U.S. origin could face legal action. The Bush administration went so far as to disrupt a conference of Cuban and U.S. oil executives underway at a Mexico City hotel because the hotel was part of the U.S.-based Starwood chain. But given Cuba’s proximity