Russia and Iran: Emphasize “North-South” Routes vs. “East-West”
January 25th, 2009
Via Windows on Eurasia, an analysis of the renewed interest in the development of three major north-south routes that would link Russia with Iran — via the Caspian Sea, via a railroad through Azerbaijan, and via pipelines from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — a route that it is only half as long as the traditional sea […]
Read more »China Invests in Liberia’s Mines
January 23rd, 2009
Via Terra Daily, a report that Liberia signed Thursday a 2.6 billion dollar agreement with Chinese conglomerate China Union to develop its main iron ore mine, the biggest ever investment in the West African nation. As the article notes “…President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed a mineral development agreement with officials from the Chinese mining company […]
Read more »Peru: Delaying Its Planned Oil Change
January 23rd, 2009
Via The Associated Press, a report that low oil prices are forcing Peru’s government to reevaluate $2 billion it planned to invest in an oil refinery and new pipelines in the Amazon jungle. As the article notes “…Suspending the pipeline project could put Peru’s ambitions to become a net oil exporter on hold. The upgrades […]
Read more »The New Great Game: Russia vs. The West over Caspian & Central Asian Energy Resources
January 21st, 2009
Via World Politics Review, an in-depth summary of the new geostrategic “Great Game” between Russia and the West over the future of Caspian and Central Asian energy resources. As the article notes, the prize resembles a set of traditional matreshka Russian dolls: the outermost doll represents the three nations bordering the Caspian itself — Azerbaijan, […]
Read more »Russia’s Winter of Discontent: An Opportunity for International Companies to Invest?
January 21st, 2009
Via The Times, an interesting look at Gazprom’s cash woes and the opportunity that such a crunch may afford Western companies. Specifically, an obvious solution to the Ukrainian crisis is for a cash-rich EU utility, such as Gasunie of the Netherlands, to buy the Ukrainian transit pipelines, offering long-term money that could be used to […]
Read more »Pemex: Unable to Reverse Its Accelerating Production Decline
January 21st, 2009
Via Stratfor (subscription required), an interesting analysis of Petroleos Mexicanos’ (Pemex) continued production woes. As the article notes “…Oil output … dropped 9 percent in 2008 to about 2.8 million barrels per day (bpd). This is down from 3.08 million bpd in 2007, and from Pemex’s all-time high of about 3.8 million bpd in 2004. […]
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.