This book compiles speeches, conversations, notes and other materials from the period 1945-1983, focusing on issues related to oil and gas extraction. Most of these materials are being published for the first time.
The development of the oil and gas industry has always been viewed by the Party and Comrade Enver Hoxha as a matter of special political and economic importance, closely linked to the overall development of the country, the strengthening of its independence and defence, and the complete construction of socialism based on self-reliance. This issue has become even more pressing in recent years, in the context of the deep economic crisis that has engulfed the capitalist-revisionist world, particularly in the energy sector. The Party’s concern, and directly that of Comrade Enver Hoxha, for the oil sector has consistently increased, as is clearly reflected in the content of this volume.
Throughout this collection of works, a consistent theme is the correct and far-sighted policy that the Party has pursued and continues to pursue for the development of the oil sector, a critical area of our industry, ensuring that the country is never left without oil, regardless of international circumstances. Because of the significant political and economic importance of oil, both external and internal enemies have attempted to sabotage and undermine the Party’s correct policy in this vital sector of our country. The pages of this volume reflect our Party’s determined struggle against all attempts by imperialists and various revisionists to hinder and sabotage the Party’s work in the oil industry. The efforts of the Soviet and Chinese revisionists, ranging from pressures to the treacherous and unilateral severance of economic relations with our country, have failed due to the constant vigilance of the Party and our entire people.
The volume includes a well-argued analysis of the subversive activities of the enemy group led by Abdyl Këllezi, Koço Theodhosi, Pirro Gusho, Lipe Nashi and other collaborators, a group which, as later revealed, was directly manipulated by the double agent Mehmet Shehu. Referring to their statements and actions, with which they tried to justify the so-called failures in oil exploration, Comrade Enver Hoxha, as early as December 26, 1974, at the meeting of the Political Bureau, even before their subversive activities were uncovered, bluntly said to them: “It seems to me that you are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. You tell us that drillings have been completed, that this or that has been achieved!… The Party is not interested in the footage of drillings, but in the discovery and extraction of oil.” It would be only a few months before the roots of this group’s hostile activities would be fully exposed.
The damage caused by the subversive activities of this group in the oil sector created some difficulties. However, as in other times, our oil workers, specialists, and labourers, led by the Party, fought with determination to overcome these consequences. They worked with great zeal and enthusiasm to expand existing oil fields and discover new ones. A significant contribution in this regard, as reflected in the pages of this book, was made by the Special Oil and Gas Commission, created at the direct initiative of Comrade Enver Hoxha. The directives given by the author to the comrades of the Commission remain of current value.
However, as evident from the materials in this volume, the shortcomings in oil production have also arisen due to subjective reasons. The emphasis is particularly placed on issues related to organization and management, as well as on methods and styles of work. In his meetings with cadres and specialists, Comrade Enver Hoxha, in addition to important theoretical and guiding generalizations, offers a series of thoughts, observations, suggestions and practical solutions, even down to the details, which are a valuable aid for the large army of cadres, specialists, technicians and all oil workers.
Critically reviewing the experience of past work in the oil sector, the writings in this volume highlight that many of the mistakes observed in the oil sector have occurred because technical and scientific discipline was violated, scientific debate was not sufficiently developed as it should have been and the voice of the masses was not consistently heard. He advises that all key issues of production and management should be addressed and resolved together with the working masses, to always and everywhere draw upon their creative thinking, revolutionary experience and fighting spirit. The implementation or non-implementation of this principle is the line of demarcation between revolutionaries and bureaucrats.
This collection pays special attention to the scientific treatment and evaluation of drilling well data to draw the most comprehensive conclusions about the entire geological structure being drilled. For this issue, importance is given to the further training of workers, cadres and specialists, raising their ideological, political and technical-professional levels. Without proper technical advancement, the volume emphasizes, political advancement is ineffective. Political advancement must be matched by technical advancement.
As in every sector of the country’s life, in the oil sector as well, progress, successes and achievements, overcoming obstacles and difficulties, are accomplished thanks to the correct leadership of the Party, when the grassroots organizations are fulfilling their organizing, mobilizing and implementing roles in leading all tasks. Strengthening this role, fighting against the manifestations of bureaucratism, technocratism and intellectualism, are important factors for revolutionizing the work in the oil sector. For this, it is essential not to allow Party decisions, norms and principles to be violated, nor to allow the grassroots organizations of the Party to be displaced or sidelined from their leading and organizing roles.
This volume, with the numerous materials it contains, the wide range of issues it addresses, the scientific depth and logical argumentation of every issue it discusses, will be a great help and a reliable guide for all communists and workers, cadres and specialists in the oil sector, and will serve them in increasing their mobilization spirit in the work for the successful fulfilment of the tasks in this important branch of our economy.
The book is equipped with an index.
(Per Naftën, Tirana 1984, pp. iii-vi)
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