I'd say to ditch the lake idea and go over there, kick some ass, colonize the place, and take the oil for our own.
Sooner or later the liberals would want to give it back to the people that first had it though. Then it would be just like South Africa, where the UK went down there and established some civilization only to have it completely ruined by turning it back over to the original animals that inhabited it before they came and helped them out.
Go ahead and flame cuz I won't be coming back to this post due to the fact that I am right and I know it! HAAAAA