Archive for the ‘Russia’ Category

Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey: A New Phase in Energy Competition?

Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), an interesting analysis of the decision by Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz to join Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimukhammedov at the Jan. 6 inauguration ceremony for a natural gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan to Iran.  As the article notes, Yildiz’s presence raises the possibility that new […]

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The Evolving Pipeline Politics In Central Asia

Courtesy of The Japan Times, an interesting article on the evolving pipeline politics of Central Asia.  As the report notes: “…The opening early last month of a new Central Asia-China gas pipeline is the latest demonstration of Beijing’s growing influence over the natural resources of the region. China’s voracious appetite for energy resources has led […]

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China’s Strategic Pipeline To Central Asia

Courtesy of STATFOR (subscription required), analysis of the strategic energy and geopolitical implications of the recent inauguration of the Central Asia Natural Gas Pipeline, which will ship natural gas from Turkmenistan to China.  As the article notes: “…Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan from Dec. 12 through Dec. 14, with his trip culminating […]

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Central Asian Energy

Courtesy of Stratfor (subscription required and recommended), a terrific two-part analysis of Uzbekistan withdrew from Central Asia’s Unified Power System, a synchronized electric grid linking Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The move is part of a series of disputes between Central Asia’s five countries. The region’s geography and distribution of resources is likely to make […]

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Turkmen Gas Reserves: A Riddle Wrapped In An Enigma…?

Via Gundogar, an article noting that questions have recently been raised about whether the gas resources of Turkmenistan are in fact as spectacularly voluminous as verified last year by the British firm, Gaffney Cline & Associates.  As the report notes: “…Gaffney Cline certified that the new South Yoloton field held between 4 trillion and 14 […]

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Nord Stream Leading To Continental Divide?

Courtesy of The New York Times, a report on the ambitious Nord Stream pipeline planned to run along the bed of the Baltic Sea, the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is driving a political wedge between Eastern and Western Europe. As the article notes: While the Russian-German pipeline offers clear energy benefits to Western Europe, […]

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WILDCATS AND BLACK SHEEP
Wildcats & Black Sheep is a personal interest blog dedicated to the identification and evaluation of maverick investment opportunities arising in frontier - and, what some may consider to be, “rogue” or “black sheep” - markets around the world.

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.