Scramble for Africa…The “Final Frontier” of Conventional Sources of Oil
January 25th, 2008
As reported by Reuters, high oil prices and the onslaught of resource nationalism from Russia to South America have sent Western majors delving ever deeper into the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, triggering a new scramble for Africa. As the article notes: “…Unlike more established oil-producing regions, the Gulf of Guinea offers easy access […]
Read more »The European Pipeline War: Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, and the World
January 24th, 2008
As noted by Steve LeVine at his Oil & Glory blog, Vladimir Putin recently racked up another in a string of unbroken victories in the European Pipeline War as Gazprom purchased a majority stake in the state oil company, NIS, and joined Russia’s South Stream Pipeline consortium. Last week, Bulgaria signed onto South Stream as […]
Read more »Dinosaurs at the Tar Pit (3): Energy’s Center of Power & Resource Nationalism Is On The Move
January 23rd, 2008
As noted in today’s Financial Times, the story of energy in the 21st century has been the relative decline of the developed world as both a producer and a consumer. We have been following this trend for some time now, keeping a close eye on The New Seven Sisters in particular. As the article reports: […]
Read more »Russia Moves On The Caspian; Back to Iraq As Well?
January 21st, 2008
As neatly reported by Energy Daily, Russia is moving swiftly to develop projects in its own self-defined sector of the Caspian Sea. Russia’s move offshore means it is now joining post-Soviet republics Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in developing their claimed national sectors of the Caspian, leaving only Iran – stymied by U.S. trade sanctions barring […]
Read more »South Stream Pipeline: On Stream
January 20th, 2008
As reported by AFP, Russian President Vladimir Putin clinched a key pipeline deal with Bulgaria on Friday that strengthens Moscow’s grip on European gas markets. As the article notes: “…Bulgaria and Russia agreed to build the so-called South Stream pipeline project, which will cross the Black Sea into Bulgaria and then split in two arms, […]
Read more »Turkmenistan’s Pipeline Politics: Turkey, Iran, and Others Shiver Together
January 15th, 2008
There have been stories this past week or so about the severe winter and gas shortages in Iran, and their resulting cut in supplies to Turkey. The Iranian domestic shortage was supposed to be made up from Turkmenistan. Unfortunately the shortfall from Iran to Turkey was supposed to be made up by increased supplies from […]
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.