A Future Middle East of Failed States?
December 17th, 2008
Via The Asia Times, a highly pessimistic look at the economies of the largest Muslim countries, namely Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. While I do not wholly agree with the thesis of the piece, I felt it useful to present The Times’ views. As the article notes: “…Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad controls Iran through a kleptocracy […]
Read more »Russia & Georgia: Energy Negotiations
November 19th, 2008
Via Stratfor (subscription required), a report that Russia and Georgia — whose relationship is still shattered after the war between them in August — are to start energy negotiations in mid-December. As the article notes: “…Georgia currently relies on Russian natural gas to fulfill approximately 60 percent of its domestic demand, with neighboring Azerbaijan fulfilling […]
Read more »Azeri Efforts to Manage European & Russian Interests In Its Resources
November 5th, 2008
Via The International Herald Tribune, an interesting look at Azerbaijan’s efforts to play Europe and Russia off against each other during the tug-of-war over over Azerbaijan’s energy resources. As the article notes: “…Over the past two months, Russia and the United States, acting with the Europeans, have stepped up their attentions to this mostly Muslim […]
Read more »Kazakhstan Support The BTC Pipeline
October 17th, 2008
Via Energy Daily, a report that oil from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field will be delivered by tankers across the Caspian Sea to the BP-led consortium’s Sangachal Terminal on Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula for pumping into the1,094-mile, $3.6 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline for transmission to Ceyhan. As the article notes: “…The August Russian-Georgian military conflict highlighted the vulnerability […]
Read more »Ukraine’s Interest in the Arab Gas Pipeline
October 10th, 2008
Via Oil and Gas Eurasia, a report detailing Ukraine’s interest in playing a role in the completion of the Arab Gas Pipeline intended for natural gas deliveries from Egypt to Europe via Syria and Turkey. As the article notes: “…We hope to take part in the modernization of Syrian enterprises, including in the construction of […]
Read more »Turkey: Is The Silk Road of the 21st Century Turning Towards Russia?
October 9th, 2008
Via Energy Risk, a very good analysis by Robert Amsterdam of Turkey’s geostrategic importance as the bridge between Europe and the Near East, particularly as the European Union considers its dwindling options for alternative supply routes beyond the reach of Gazprom, Russia’s natural gas oligopoly. As the article notes: “…A key transit hub of both […]
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.