According to some estimates, the Caspian Sea region could produce up to 150 billion barrels of oil, as well as trillions of cubic meters of gas. Such numbers make the area the "most promising petroleum region for the next 20-30 years," according to Terry Koonce, the president and CEO of ExxonMobil Production Co.
Five years of frustration fueled the April 29 confrontation in Baku between opposition supporters and authorities. Now, as the dust settles from the street clashes, leading opponents of President Heidar Aliev are vowing to press on with a campaign to open Azerbaijan's political system.
