Saudi Aramco: A New Seven Sister Seeks More Growth
November 13th, 2008
From Forbes, an interesting look at Saudi Aramco plans for aggressive expansion and continued growth. As the article notes: “…But why, with prices dropping and a steep worldwide recession looming, would Aramco go all out on the most ambitious expansion plan in its 75-year history? Over the next five years it will invest $129 billion […]
Read more »More Than King Solomon’s Mine…?
August 11th, 2008
From the current issue of Fortune Magazine, an interesting article on a new generation of fortune hunters seeking riches under the sands of Saudi Arabia, namely gold and potentially even more lucrative metals and minerals. As the article notes: “Gold, copper, phosphate, bauxite this place could be the next Canada or Australia,” says InEs Scotland, […]
Read more »Russia’s Chess Match in The Middle East & North Africa
August 1st, 2008
From The National, an interesting analysis of Russia’s recent diplomatic and trade activities in the Middle East and North Africa in a bid to enhance its geopolitical clout and gain access to, and at least partial control over, the region’s oil and gas reserves. As the article notes: “…Among the former global superpower’s tactics: linking […]
Read more »Dinosaurs at the Tar Pit: Big Oil as Road Kill on The Hydrocarbon Highway?
February 5th, 2008
From The Times (UK), more news on the decline of Big Oil in favour of government-controlled national oil companies in big producer countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Venezuela. The share of the world’s oil reserves controlled by the big Western oil companies, such as BP, Shell and ExxonMobil, has fallen to less […]
Read more »The Second World: Key Players in the Geopolitical Marketplace
January 28th, 2008
An excellent piece in yesterday’s New York Times magazine effectively argues that the US’s position in the global order of things is changing and, that in addition to the three powers in today’s world (i.e. the U.S., China and the European Union), a set of “second world†nations that are part developed & part developing […]
Read more »Dialing for Dollars (or Dirhams?): Gulf Arab Telcos Expanding Their Area Codes
January 21st, 2008
Two recent reports on Gulf Arab telecom operators continuing their expansionist trends out of their home markets, where most have been riding a wave of economic growth spurred by a five-fold increase in oil prices since 2002. First, an article detailing Saudi Telecom’s – the largest Arab telecom firm by market value – $2.6 billion […]
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.