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Political unrest in Egypt is expected to peak Tuesday, with a protest organizers hope will shut down transportation to Cairo. The protest is another effort to oust President Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power.

Although the conflict is halfway around the world, there’s a key element that impacts us here in Louisiana. Egypt is not an oil producing country but, the Suez Canal is a major route for oil transport. If that shuts down, it could affect one of our biggest industries.

The U.S. Energy Department reports almost 2 million barrels of oil moving through the canal each day, so any disruption or even threat of disruption could cause oil prices to skyrocket. If international prices go up, it could increase demand for oil from other parts of the world, including Louisiana. All 64 of our parishes produce oil or gas, while oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico have a $70 billion annual impact. We spoke with Loyola University Professor Behrooz Moazami, who said the people of Egypt know the political power of oil and the impact it has on the world economy.

So, just how big has the impact been? Oil has jumped about 8 percent in the last two trading sessions, but so far, the Suez Canal remains open and shipping has not been interrupted.

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