The Greater Caspian Region: A New Silk Road, With or Without A New Belt
March 7th, 2020
Via The Atlantic Council, an interesting look at Central Asia and the new Silk Road: With the signing of a US-Taliban peace agreement, now might be a good time to look ahead to how Afghanistan might strengthen its economic connectivity with both its neighbors and more distant markets. Now, there will be a 135-day period of […]
Read more »Caspian Oil Producers Face Growing Investor Skepticism
December 25th, 2019
Via S&P Global, a look at the Caspian petroleum producing countries: Three decades after gaining independence, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan face a growing struggle convincing investors and markets of the potential for significant new oil opportunities in the Caspian region. Recent months appear to have demonstrated the reduced allure of a region once seen as a […]
Read more »Caspian Games: Central Asian ‘Stans’ Vie For Connectivity Market
April 20th, 2018
Via The Asia Times, a report on what some have referred to as ‘Pipelineistan’, but with its Belt and Road Initiative, China is set to be the top game-changer: Azerbaijan held a presidential election this month. Predictably, incumbent leader Ilham Aliyev won his fourth consecutive term with a Kim dynasty-esque 86% of the votes. International monitors […]
Read more »China Funded Lapis-Lazuli Transport Corridor Unites Caucasus & Central Asia
December 6th, 2017
Via Silk Road Briefing, an article on the Lapis-Lazuli Transport Corridor: China’s reach into Central Asia and the Caucasus has taken a major step forward with a new initiative poetically known as “The Lapis-Lazuli Transit, Trade & Transport Route” (or the “Lapis Lazuli Corridor”). This aims to enhance regional economic cooperation and connectivity between Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, […]
Read more »Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Rail Line
November 1st, 2017
Via Forbes, a look at how Azerbaijan, Georgia, And Turkey subverted Russia and isolated Armenia with a new railway: After many years of anticipation and delays, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) rail line has ceremoniously gone into service. Its first train just pulled out of the New Port of Baku on Monday, making its first official run across Azerbaijan […]
Read more »Energy in Central Asia: Who Has What?
June 21st, 2017
Via The Diplomat, a look at Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and a breakdown of their energy resources: Each summer, BP releases a statistical review of world energy. The review — in its 66th year — is well regarded and draws on a variety of sources, giving one of the most comprehensive views of energy reserves and consumption […]
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.