Turkmenistan’s High Stakes Poker Game Upon Which Many Promises Have Been Made
December 6th, 2007
From Eurasianet.org, a terrific look at Turkmenistan’s delicate balance of making promises to various regional hydrocarbon players, all without the benefit of a published, independent audit of the nation’s petroleum reserves. As the article notes: “…Turkmenistan is believed to be one of the top five nations in the world, in terms of natural gas reserves. […]
Read more »China’s Growing Influence in Kazakhstan
December 6th, 2007
As noted in the Eurasia Daily Monitor, Kazakhstan – despite its efforts to symbolically broaden its foreign policy with recent Presidential visits to places such as Syria, UAE, and the Balkans – and investments such as KazMunayGaz’s recent acquisition of a 75% stake in Romania’s Rompetrol Group, the Balkan pipeline route and East European markets […]
Read more »Not Going Cold Turkey: Tehran and Ankara Work Together
December 3rd, 2007
An interesting article from UPI’s John Daly via Energy Daily, that points out that the Bush administration’s inattention to Turkish domestic and foreign policy concerns has produced the growing estrangement between the two nations and that Washington has nothing to offer Ankara in the energy sphere. As a necessity, Turkey has moved national energy concerns […]
Read more »Turkmenistan: Balancing China, Russia, and Europe
November 29th, 2007
As cogently analyzed by Stratfor (subscription required), Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimukhammedov’s recent announcement that a pipeline supplying Russia with natural gas from Turkmenistan would be upgraded may just be another effort by the Turkmen leader to string Russia along — for as long as he can — until a better option, most likely China, comes […]
Read more »OAO Gazprom’s Unexpected Dow(ry)?
November 29th, 2007
Via Todd Sullivan’s Value Plays, an interesting review of a recent MOU signed between Russian natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom and Dow Chemical outlining potential cooperation on refining gas from Russia’s Yamalo-Nemets autonomous district and the possibility of creating a joint venture based on Dow’s new petrochemical facilities in Germany. While I am not sure […]
Read more »Iran’s Planned Nabucco Pipeline
November 29th, 2007
From Der Spiegel, an interesting look at Iran’s desires to use its massive gas reserves and construction of its planned Nabucco pipeline to wield influence over Europe. As the article notes: “Iran is planning to leverage its massive gas reserves to increase its influence in Western Europe — by fair means or foul. If selling […]
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.