Central Asia’s Afghan Route to Prosperity
April 19th, 2021
Via Project Syndicate, an article on how two new mega-projects connecting Central and South Asia could transform Eurasian security, significantly increase regional economic activity, and potentially bring peace at last to Afghanistan: For the first time in centuries, there is an opportunity to connect Central and South Asia via modern transport and energy corridors through […]
Read more »Geopolitical Competition in Caspian Region About More Than Gas and Oil
April 13th, 2021
Via The Jamestown Foundation, an article on the Caspian region: Geopolitical competition in the Caspian Sea region over oil and natural gas fields, pipelines carrying these hydrocarbons across that body of water, and security measures intended to protect both have attracted the bulk of the attention of the littoral states as well as outside powers […]
Read more »Kazakhstan’s 2025 Development Plan
March 29th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on Kazakhstan’s 2025 Development Plan: The government of Kazakhstan recently released its National Development Plan Through 2025, which complements the government’s primary objective of becoming one of the world’s 30 most developed nations by 2050. Overall, the plan is a continuation of Nur-Sultan’s current strategy of economic diversification, which includes heavily investing in […]
Read more »Can Central Asian Gas Exporters Rely on China?
March 29th, 2021
Via Eurasianet, a report on China’s hopes to reduce energy imports and cut emissions, which may raise questions about the need for additional gas from Central Asia: Central Asia’s natural gas producers have only one eager buyer: China. And though China has a growing appetite, it has signaled intentions to source more energy domestically. What does […]
Read more »Central Asia’s Resource Curse
March 8th, 2021
Via Emerging Europe, a look at potential for Central Asia to fall prey to the ‘resource curse’: Across the globe, countries with a wealth of natural resources are broadly authoritarian and corrupt. Central Asia is no exception. The Caspian Sea region is one of the world’s richest in terms of natural resources. This has contributed […]
Read more »Oil Company OMV Petrom Leaves Kazakhstan
February 22nd, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on the decision of another investor to leave Kazakhstan, highlighting the worsening business climate: At the end of December, OMV Petrom sold its assets in Kazakhstan, marking the exit of yet another investor from the Central Asian country, which is still embattled in court spats with other foreign entities. The sale […]
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.