How ENI Found an Alternative to Russian Gas in Africa
February 2nd, 2026
Via The Africa Report, a look at how – in the wake of the war in Ukraine – the Italian giant was forced to turn its back on Moscow. Over four years, it has turned the continent – Brazzaville to Luanda via Maputo – into its new gas stronghold: As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on, ENI has completed […]
Read more »Crude Vision: An American Oil Empire Is A Flawed Idea
January 17th, 2026
Via The Economist, a look at Donald Trump’s expansive ambitions and limited plans: JUST HOURS after America captured Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s dictator, on January 3rd, President Donald Trump clarified his motivation. “The oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time,” he said. America would “spend billions of dollars, […]
Read more »Can Trump Make Venezuela an Oil Giant Again?
January 12th, 2026
Via the Wall Street Journal, commentary on President Trump’s desire to have U.S. oil companies return to Venezuela in a big way, but the petrostate’s turbulent history suggests formidable challenges ahead: “No one was paying any attention to Venezuelan oil two weeks ago,” a longtime oilman said to me the other day, “but now everyone […]
Read more »Crude Vision: Donald Trump’s Great Venezuelan Oil Gamble
January 5th, 2026
Via The Economist, an article on the challenges facing Venezuela’s oil sector: JUST HOURS after America captured Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s dictator, in a nighttime raid on January 3rd, President Donald Trump clarified his motivation. “The oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time,” he said. “We are […]
Read more »New Dash For Africa’s Oil and Gas
October 11th, 2025
Via The Economist, an article on TotalEnergies’ and other firms’ dash for Africa’s new oil and gas: To grasp the ambition behind Africa’s new oil and gas exploration, consider three projects under way at TotalEnergies, a French supermajor. In Uganda it is building the world’s longest heated pipeline. In Namibia it hopes to drill in waters 3km […]
Read more »A Sticky Situation: The Gulf’s Oil Giants Risk Becoming Sprawling Conglomerates
July 26th, 2025
Via The Economist, a look at how the Gulf’s oil giants risk becoming sprawling conglomerates: “ARAMCO has always been far more than just an oil producer.” So said Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Arabia’s petro-colossus, earlier this year. Mr Nasser has lofty ambitions for the world’s biggest oil company, which he views as “an important enabler” […]
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.