Falling Oil Prices = Falling Stars & Some Turnarounds in Fortune
January 9th, 2009
From Foreign Policy’s new blog entitled The Call, some thoughts on winners & losers from the steep drop in oil prices and the financial meltdown. As the report notes, the old Seven Sisters are now among the winners while frontier markets occupy a spot on the loser side of things: Until the middle of last […]
Read more »Italy, Russia: Together In Tripoli
January 9th, 2009
Via Robert Amsterdam’s fine blog, an interesting analysis of Italy’s ENI’s efforts to penetrate the Libyan market in partnership with Gazprom. As the article notes: A few days ago, the CEO of the Italian energy group Eni told everybody he felt calm and “serene” with regard to Gazprom’s decision to cut off all gas flowing […]
Read more »Russian – Ukraine Gas Standoff: Efforts To Yield A More Russian-Friendly Ukranian Government
January 5th, 2009
Via Stratfor (subscription required), insightful analysis on how the latest round of the Russia – Ukraine gas pipeline “war” may turn out. As the article notes: “…Russian natural gas behemoth Gazprom has made Ukraine a new offer for the purchase of natural gas Jan. 4, this time raising its price from $179 per thousand cubic […]
Read more »Caspian Sea Energy Reserves and Geopolitical Intrigue
January 5th, 2009
Via Seeking Alpha, an interesting post which is centered on a review of a book entitled The New Great Game. However, I am noting it here as it provides a nice summary of issues related to the Caspian (with handy maps, no less). As the article notes “…The investigative journalist delves deeply into the geopolitical […]
Read more »“Walking Out” in Papua New Guinea – The Latest Outpost in the New Chinese Empire
January 5th, 2009
Via Canada’s Globe & Mail newspaper, an interesting look at the boom in Chinese trade, aid and influence around the world, especially in places the West has neglected or rejected. State-controlled Chinese companies obey a policy of “walking out” into the world and acquiring properties for the national interest — nickel and copper projects to […]
Read more »Pipeline Politics Or Oiligarch’s At War? Russia & Ukraine’s Latest Gas Pains
January 3rd, 2009
Via The Oil Drum, some interesting background and context on the latest gas-related conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As the article notes: “…it’s worth remembering a few simple facts: The conflict started in 1992, not in 2006; Russia cannot win a gas war against Ukraine and knows it; The real underlying stakes are not about […]
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.