China, Quad and the Rare Earths Mineral Competition in Myanmar
December 10th, 2025
Via Asia Times, a look at how ethnic rebel groups’ advances against the junta have disrupted Chinese resource-extraction dominance: As the US-China rivalry spirals, it is spilling over into new domains, particularly those involving rare earth minerals, regional supply chains, and emerging technologies. Countries with fragile political systems but high geoeconomic value are increasingly turning […]
Read more »Between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a Trade War With No End in Sight
December 8th, 2025
Courtesy of the New York Times, a look at how – after deadly cross-border military clashes – the Pakistani and Afghan governments have locked their populations in a trade war threatening the livelihoods of millions: One of Peshawar’s largest markets in western Pakistan once bustled with thousands of Afghan-owned shops and carts, selling everything from […]
Read more »Lots of Oil, Little Production: What to Know About Venezuelan Energy
December 7th, 2025
Via the New York Times, a look at Venezuela: the South American country increasingly at odds with the Trump administration which has the world’s largest oil reserves: Venezuela sits on more oil than Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States and every other country. Yet, it produces and sells only about 1 percent of the crude […]
Read more »U.S. Waiver of Sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar Port is Good News for Central Asia
December 7th, 2025
Via the Times of Central Asia, a report on how a recent U.S. waiver of sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar Port is good news for Central Asia: U.S. sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman have been on again/off again since 2013, when the U.S. Congress passed the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act […]
Read more »How is the Economy of Ibrahim Traoré’s Burkina Faso (Really) Doing?
December 7th, 2025
Via The Africa Report, a look at how – despite a deteriorating security and humanitarian situation – the Burkinabè economy is holding firm thanks to record-high gold prices. Could Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s sovereignist strategy pay off? In late July 2025, dozens of jihadist fighters mounted on motorbikes descended on an army base in Dargo, central-eastern Burkina […]
Read more »Congo’s Upstream Expansion Signals New Era For Central Africa’s Energy Future
December 7th, 2025
Via Eurasia Review, a look at how Congo is expanding its upstream activities: The Republic of Congo is entering a period of rapid growth, with upstream expansion across both the oil and natural gas industries positioning the country as a strategic anchor for Central Africa’s energy development. With the start of operations at Congo LNG […]
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.