Baku Looks East: Who Lost Azerbaijan?
April 13th, 2009
Via Energy Daily, an intriguing analysis of a recent agreement beween Russia and Azerbaijan that may be the harbinger of a dramatic shift in Baku’s Western-leaning policy. As the article notes: “…On March 27, officials from Gazprom and the State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic signed a memorandum of understanding providing that discussions between the […]
Read more »Azerbaijan: Center of the New Great Game Energy War?
February 9th, 2009
Via Energy Daily, a detailed look at Azerbaijan’s central role in the covert new Great Game energy war between the West and Russia for domination of both Caspian energy and its transit resources. As the article notes “…No Caspian nation has been more affected by the perfect storm of the global economic bust, Russian-Ukrainian gas […]
Read more »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 »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 »Caspian Sea Energy Reserves and Geopolitical Intrigue
January 5th, 2009
Via Seeking Alpha, an interesting post which is centered on a review of a book entitled The New Great Game. However, I am noting it here as it provides a nice summary of issues related to the Caspian (with handy maps, no less). As the article notes “…The investigative journalist delves deeply into the geopolitical […]
Read more »Caspian Energy in 2008: “The Best of Times, The Worst of Times”
December 30th, 2008
Via Energy Daily, a summary of 2008 for the five petro-states ringing the Caspian. As the article notes “…Three of these are the former Soviet republics of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Iran, subject to nearly three decades of U.S.-led sanctions, has longstanding problems as a result that have stymied foreign investment there, while Turkmenistan’s fiscal […]
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.