@Bozza I think this is about oil. Securing control of oil rather than about getting actual oil.

Its about who controls the access to the oil.

In recent years, the west has been saying "Oh no we won't trade with you, you are not libtarded enough" This has meant that an axis of trade has developed among those who would resist the west. Every time the west sanction someone or embargo their product they send them to this axis.

When the west was by far the greatest consumer this meant the naughty country was in the dog house and suffered but of late it has led to a virtuous circle for some nations. If you are already in the dog house, then you lose nothing by buying some nice cheap oil. Someone who is subject to sanctions and embargos gains a new much needed customer. China laughs and buys cheap oil, while the west its competitor pays more and has tighter margins.

The solution is to get in control of the market in that country.

Will it work -dunno. The US has not make its mistake of Afghanistan and Iraq and tried to bring in its own administration which has insufficient local loyalties but it has also got very little control of the country by just removing the leader and trying to work with a pragmatic second in command who might otherwise have never been leader.

Its a good stab at imperialism by a country without much experience in the field. Will boots on the ground be needed to get anywhere once the dust has settled? Lets see. It depends what they offer and what they can threaten.