Africa and Oil: Can The Resource Curse Be Avoided?
September 25th, 2009
Via Foreign Policy, an interesting Eurasia Group commentary on major new oil finds in Uganda, Ghana, and Sierra Leone and whether they will bolster government revenue, finance social spending, and lift entire communities out of poverty — or not. As the article notes: “…The resource curse is about to be put to the test again […]
Read more »Oil Nationalism in Latin America
September 23rd, 2009
Courtesy of Foreign Policy In Focus, an interesting report on oil nationalism in Latin America. As the article notes: “…Latin America is endowed with 132 billion barrels of “proven” oil. Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and Ecuador have significant reserves and strong state involvement in the exploration and production of oil through their nationalized companies Petróleos de […]
Read more »China, Angola, and Oil
September 22nd, 2009
Via Africa-Asia Confidential, a report that China’s relations with Angola suffered a setback this month when Luanda turned down the acquisition by China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Sinopec of a coveted oil block, and a look at the complicated ownership structure of Sonagol Sinopec International (SSI), a joint venture between Sinopec and China Sonangol […]
Read more »Southeast Asian Oil Firms Scout For Foreign Assets
September 20th, 2009
Via The Peninsula (Qatar), a report that Southeast Asia’s major oil and gas firms are gearing up for an aggressive expansion to overhaul local operations and snap up foreign assets to meet the needs of a fast-growing, power-hungry region. As the article notes: “…From the archipelagos of Indonesia and the Philippines to the rapidly developing […]
Read more »Laos: Communism or Capitalism?
September 19th, 2009
Courtesy of The New York Times, an interesting report on Laos. As the article notes: “…Hammer-and-sickle flags flutter above government offices in downtown Vientiane, and the entrance to the national museum is decorated with massive sculptures glorifying the workers’ revolutionary struggle. Officially, this sparsely populated country is still communist — and has been since 1975. […]
Read more »Turkmenistan’s Gas
September 19th, 2009
Via The Oil Drum, an in-depth look at Turkmenistan’s natural gas reserves. As the report notes: “…Turkmenistan holds significantly large quantities of natural gas (they hold the world’s fourth largest reserves) and these have, over the years, proved attractive to Russia, China and the West. Until fairly recently, despite some bad relationships from time to […]
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.