The Iron Silk Road (2): China Railroads Central Asia
February 3rd, 2008
As we have discussed earlier in this forum, China is attempting to draw Central Asia into its orbit by developing extensive energy links with the region’s nations but, as noted here earlier & reinforced by a recent Stratfor analysis, it now attempting to capture the whole of Central Asian economic life. As the analysis notes: […]
Read more »Calling Dear Leader: Orascom’s North Korean Mobile Licence
February 3rd, 2008
As reported in Arabian Business, Orascom Telecom – the fourth-biggest Arab mobile phone operator by market value – announced that its subsidiary, CHEO Technology (in which the North Korean government also owns 25%), won the first mobile phone licence in North Korea. Orascom stated that it plans to invest $400 million on infrastructure and licence […]
Read more »The Second World: Key Players in the Geopolitical Marketplace
January 28th, 2008
An excellent piece in yesterday’s New York Times magazine effectively argues that the US’s position in the global order of things is changing and, that in addition to the three powers in today’s world (i.e. the U.S., China and the European Union), a set of “second world†nations that are part developed & part developing […]
Read more »Argentina and Bolivia’s Northeast Argentine Pipeline; A Feeble Attempt to Balance Brazil’s Growing Might
January 28th, 2008
Stratfor (subscription required) recently reported that Argentine and Bolivian leaders kicked off the $1.8 billion Northeast Argentine Pipeline (GNEA) project in Buenos Aires on Jan. 25. While this has important ramifications for the South American hydrocarbon picture, Stratfor insightfully notes that this is just another harbinger that the geopolitical structure of South America is changing: […]
Read more »A Scramble to Exploit Africa’s Significant Gas Reserves
January 28th, 2008
As reported in a recent Financial Times article, with Europe concerned over Russia’s political motives in exploiting its energy wealth and big international companies shut out or deterred from investing in the Middle East, many eyes have turned to Africa in the hope of securing future supplies of gas. However, as companies scramble to gain […]
Read more »“Gas OPEC” to Be Discussed again in June
January 28th, 2008
As reported by Iran’s Shana news, gas-producing countries are planning to again discuss the idea of forming a “gas OPEC” along the lines of the existing oil organization in June in Moscow. According to the article, members of the existing Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) had appointed an expert to look at the idea of […]
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.