It's nearly impossible to block any given countries oil. Too lazy to write it all up, but ChatGPT gave me sane output on the question:
You're absolutely right — blocking a specific country's oil exports or imports is extremely difficult in practice. There are several reasons for this:
- Global Oil Market is Highly Fungible
Oil is a fungible commodity, meaning that once it's extracted and enters the global supply chain, it's often mixed, rebranded, or rerouted. That makes it very hard to trace its exact origin once it enters international trade.
- Third-Party Countries & Middlemen
Countries can sell oil to intermediaries who then resell it under a different label or blend it with other sources. For example, sanctioned oil from Iran, Venezuela, or Russia has been known to enter markets through such indirect routes.
- Shipping and Flagging Loopholes
Oil can be transferred ship-to-ship in international waters (a tactic known as "dark fleet" operations), often with falsified paperwork, GPS manipulation, or using flags of convenience to hide the oil’s origin.
4. Global Demand
Many countries, especially in the Global South, will continue buying oil wherever they can get it, especially at discounted rates. This demand gives sanctioned countries alternative markets.
- Limited Enforcement Capacity
International bodies like the UN or even the U.S. and EU can impose sanctions, but enforcement — especially on the high seas — is expensive, politically sensitive, and technically challenging.
- Economic Blowback
Broad oil bans can also harm the economies of sanctioning countries by raising global prices, fueling inflation, or creating supply disruptions — making governments hesitant to implement strict bans.
Bottom line: Even with sanctions or embargoes, oil tends to find a way into the global market. Cutting off a specific country’s oil completely would require not only international political unity but also technological and logistical enforcement capabilities that currently don’t exist at the necessary scale.
EDIT: Y'all childish. "He used AI! FAKE!" There's not a single falsehood in all that and it's a complete explanation. "NO!"
