Archive for August, 2008

Russia’s Chess Match in The Middle East & North Africa

From The National, an interesting analysis of Russia’s recent diplomatic and trade activities in the Middle East and North Africa in a bid to enhance its geopolitical clout and gain access to, and at least partial control over, the region’s oil and gas reserves.  As the article notes: “…Among the former global superpower’s tactics: linking […]

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China & Kyrgyzstan: Closer (But Unbalanced) Ties

From The Asia Times, an interesting examination of China’s efforts to steadily strengthening political and economic ties with small, landlocked Kyrgyzstan, with one eye on the sizeable energy reserves of its neighbors to the north and west. As the article notes, this integration results in Kyrgyzstan’s dependence on Chinese income and infrastructure growing deeper by […]

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Vietnam’s Economy: Growing Pains

From The American, a detailed look at how – despite rapid economic growth in the past few years - the past several months have offered a reality check for Vietnam, as inflation has spiked and concerns have mounted over currency depreciation and macroeconomic stability.  As the article reports: “…In June, the consumer price index inflation rate […]

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Turkmenistan’s Relationship with Gazprom

Via Energy Daily, an interesting look at evolving relationship between Turkmenistan and Gazprom, specifically Turkmenistan’s ability to play off Chinese and Western interest in its reserves as a way to keep Gazprom “in line”.  As the article notes: “…Eurocrats perturbed by Gazprom’s growing dominance of Europe’s natural gas market and its hardball capitalist tactics, take […]

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WILDCATS AND BLACK SHEEP
Wildcats & Black Sheep is a personal interest blog dedicated to the identification and evaluation of maverick investment opportunities arising in frontier - and, what some may consider to be, “rogue” or “black sheep” - markets around the world.

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.