Iran’s Planned Nabucco Pipeline
November 29th, 2007
From Der Spiegel, an interesting look at Iran’s desires to use its massive gas reserves and construction of its planned Nabucco pipeline to wield influence over Europe. As the article notes: “Iran is planning to leverage its massive gas reserves to increase its influence in Western Europe — by fair means or foul. If selling […]
Read more »More Evidence that Big Oil Shrinking in Influence…
November 16th, 2007
In my 10 November post ($100 Oil: Creating a New World Order), I focused on the shift in power away from traditional Big Oil towards state run oil companies in some emerging nations. Steve LeVine, in his always informative Oil and Glory blog, offered further evidence today of the shrinking influence of Big Oil: “…After […]
Read more »Approaching Eurasia’s Tipping Point?
November 15th, 2007
As noted in a recent Stratfor report (subscription required), upcoming Azerbaijani and Turkmen talks about the legal status of the two countries’ maritime border in the Caspian Sea could well change the balance of power in Eurasia. As it writes: “…Russia has a number of tools at its disposal for affecting countries near it, but […]
Read more »The New Seven Sisters: Sending Big Oil the Way of the Dinosaurs?
November 2nd, 2007
An interesting post from Oil and Glory noting an evolutionary shift in the oil business that will see the growing marginalization – and probable absolute shrinkage – of Big Oil over the next decade and beyond, in favor of the New Seven Sisters. The main reason, according to the article, is that the oil majors: […]
Read more »Pipe Down: A Summary of Central Asia’s Pipeline Wars
October 31st, 2007
 As always, an interesting post by Steve Levine, discussing the U.S. failure to match Russia so far in the European pipeline war. Since I’ve discussed various pipeline (and a few pipe dream) initiatives of late, I found this article to be a useful summary: “….Europe relies on Russia for more than 30% of its oil […]
Read more »Turkmen – Afghan – Pakistan Pipe Dreams / Turkmenistan’s Export Dilemma
October 20th, 2007
In a recent analysis, John Daly illuminated the enormous challenges surrounding the long-discussed Turkmen-Afghan – Pakistan pipeline scheme through which those nations could gain access to the Caspian’s vast hydrocarbon reserves, particularly the greatest undeveloped prize in the Caspian: Turkmenistan’s immense natural gas reserves, estimated to be at 29 tcf, the fifth-largest of the world’s […]
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.