Middle Eastern Markets
December 11th, 2007
Via Bloomberg, an interesting review of the equity markets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman where – as oil revenues spur construction and increase demand – profit growth is projected to exceed other emerging markets around the word. As the article notes: “… The MSCI GCC Countries Index of […]
Read more »Getting a Unified Economy on Track…
December 11th, 2007
As reported by The International Herald Tribune, North and South Korea began regular cargo train service across their heavily armed border Tuesday for the first time in more than a half century. While I do not think that the 12-car train or the construction materials, shoes, underwear and other items will make a marked difference […]
Read more »Astana’s Brinksmanship: MangistauMunayGaz’s Lessons of Petrocracy
December 11th, 2007
As noted in Energy Daily, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov recently disclosed that he had sanctioned KazMunayGaz’s planned purchase of a major stake of MangistauMunayGaz, a move that would give the state-owned oil company shareholder veto power over company decisions, further diluting the power of Western investors. What this consolidation will mean both for the […]
Read more »An Unlikely Alliance: ‘Vulture’ Investors and Anti-Corruption Advocates in Emerging Markets
December 11th, 2007
From The International Herald Tribune, an interesting article on how ‘vulture’ investors may be making an unlikely & unanticipated contribution in the fight against corruption in developing countries such as the Republic of Congo. While I tend to view creditor litigation against developing countries as somewhat distasteful, given the development & economic burdens such nations […]
Read more »More Pipe(line) Dreams? Nabucco’s Future
December 11th, 2007
Via Energy Daily, an excellent review of the proposed Nabucco natural gas pipeline, a 2,050-mile-long, $7.3 billion project connecting the Caspian region, Middle East and Egypt via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary with Austria and further on with the Central and Western European gas markets. As the analysis concludes, the success of the pipeline project rests […]
Read more »Libya’s (Petro) Can-Do Approach
December 10th, 2007
As reported in The Globe and Mail, Petro-Canada signed a US$7-billion deal with the Libyan National Oil Company on energy production sharing in the North African country. Under the agreements (which have a 30-year term), Petro-Canada will pay 50 per cent of development capital costs and receive a 12 per cent share of production. Additionally, […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.