Original Seven Sisters: Old & Struggling
August 10th, 2008
From Newsweek, a timely reminder of the struggles facing the original Seven Sisters and the rise of the new oil majors. As the article notes: “…The escalating [BP] dispute is emblematic of the problems facing Big Oil—shrinking access, falling profit margins, underinvestment in equipment and technology and a business model that’s increasingly questioned. Major Western […]
Read more »Russia’s Far Eastern Frontier: Energy as a Political Tool
August 1st, 2008
As recently reported in The Japan Focus, Russia’s Far Eastern frontier is now turning into the place where energy export becomes a political tool in shaping the country’s relations with regional neighbors. China, the two Koreas, and Japan are hungry for energy, natural resources and, at the same time, seek economic and political cooperation. In […]
Read more »Venezuelan-Russian Energy Axis: Global Power Politics
August 1st, 2008
As recently discussed by The Latin Business Chronicle, the emerging Venezuelan-Russian energy axis is a 21st-century throwback to the Cold War Soviet-Cuban alliance and may be emblematic of geopolitical forces rising to challenge U.S. leadership and influence. As the article notes: “…Chávez and the Russian duo want to redistribute global power as expediently as possible. […]
Read more »Russia’s Chess Match in The Middle East & North Africa
August 1st, 2008
From The National, an interesting analysis of Russia’s recent diplomatic and trade activities in the Middle East and North Africa in a bid to enhance its geopolitical clout and gain access to, and at least partial control over, the region’s oil and gas reserves. As the article notes: “…Among the former global superpower’s tactics: linking […]
Read more »Turkmenistan’s Relationship with Gazprom
August 1st, 2008
Via Energy Daily, an interesting look at evolving relationship between Turkmenistan and Gazprom, specifically Turkmenistan’s ability to play off Chinese and Western interest in its reserves as a way to keep Gazprom “in line”. As the article notes: “…Eurocrats perturbed by Gazprom’s growing dominance of Europe’s natural gas market and its hardball capitalist tactics, take […]
Read more »Gazprom: Turning Western Partners into EU Lobbyists
July 25th, 2008
As reported by The International Herald Tribune, Gazprom is working to turn its Western partners into a lobbying network to try to overcome the European Union’s worries about its aggressive expansion plans. As the article notes: “…Companies working with Gazprom in its Siberian fields may be happy to oblige, analysts say, eager to strengthen their […]
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.