Currency Collapse Mirrors Turkmenistan’s Extreme Economic Woes
April 13th, 2021
Via Radio Free Europe, an article on Turkmenistan’s economic crisis: When the exchange rate of Turkmenistan’s national currency, the manat, fell to 40 to the dollar on the black market on April 3, it was more than 11 times the long-standing official rate of 3.5 manats per dollar. It was also an all-time low for […]
Read more »Geopolitical Competition in Caspian Region About More Than Gas and Oil
April 13th, 2021
Via The Jamestown Foundation, an article on the Caspian region: Geopolitical competition in the Caspian Sea region over oil and natural gas fields, pipelines carrying these hydrocarbons across that body of water, and security measures intended to protect both have attracted the bulk of the attention of the littoral states as well as outside powers […]
Read more »Sino-French African Pipeline Deal
April 13th, 2021
Via Oil and Gas Daily, a report on a recently announced Sino-French African pipeline deal: French green groups on Monday denounced a newly inked multi-national accord to build a massive crude oil pipeline in East Africa, warning of huge environmental risks. The Ugandan and Tanzanian governments joined oil companies Total of France and China’s CNOOC […]
Read more »China’s Digital Silk Road
April 13th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on China’s Digital Silk Road and what it may mean for digital governance: China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR) was launched in 2015 as a component of Beijing’s vast vision for global connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Like the BRI, the DSR is not monolithic and involves many actors at all levels […]
Read more »North Korea’s Economy: Recentralized And China-Reliant
April 10th, 2021
Via The East Asia Forum, a report on North Korea’s economy: In North Korea, many enjoy making money for themselves by selling products in private markets. Under Kim Jong-un, expanding these markets became a source of tax revenue for the regime. But this changed in the past year with the outbreak of COVID-19. The closure […]
Read more »Chinese Casino Magnate’s Empire Set to Expand in Laos
April 8th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, a report on a Chinese casino magnate’s interest in expanding into Laos: A secretive, sanctioned Chinese casino mogul is looking to expand his economic empire in Laos, unfurling plans to develop tourism projects and other business ventures in remote corners of the country. According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA)’s Lao service, an indispensable […]
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.