Venezuelan-Russian Energy Axis: Global Power Politics
August 1st, 2008
As recently discussed by The Latin Business Chronicle, the emerging Venezuelan-Russian energy axis is a 21st-century throwback to the Cold War Soviet-Cuban alliance and may be emblematic of geopolitical forces rising to challenge U.S. leadership and influence. As the article notes: “…Chávez and the Russian duo want to redistribute global power as expediently as possible. […]
Read more »Russia and Venezuela: Closer Cooperation in Oil & Gas Markets
July 23rd, 2008
As reported in The International Herald Tribune, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia recently declared that their countries would more closely coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets. As the article notes: “…Medvedev said it was still possible that Russia could join with Venezuela and other gas-producing nations […]
Read more »Venezuelan Issues
July 21st, 2008
Courtesy of NPR, a review of the state of affairs in Venezuela’s oilpatch. As the article – an interview with Michael Shifter with the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington – notes:  …Hugo Chavez has introduced a new form of governance. And there was a strike at the oil company at the end of 2002, early 2003. […]
Read more »Cuba Reaches out to Brazil
July 20th, 2008
Courtesy of Project Syndicate, an excellent analysis of Cuba’s gradual process of changing Cuba’s economy and international relations and – most specifically – efforts to ensure Cuba is not held captive by its one international supporter at present: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. “…Castro believes in giving farm workers greater incentives. He has authorized the sale […]
Read more »Lukoil, Cuba, and Venezuela
June 27th, 2008
As adroitly analyzed in Stratfor (subscription required), Russian oil firm LUKoil’s plans to purchase a refinery in Cuba are on hold because of the difficulty of investing in crude production in Venezuela. As the article notes: “…Russian oil firm LUKoil’s plans to expand into Cuba have been put on hold. LUKoil wanted to buy a […]
Read more »Resource Nationalism and The New Seven Sisters
June 8th, 2008
A very interesting Reuters article on how resource nationalism — countries nationalizing and controlling their domestic oil industries — is changing the way global oil markets respond to higher prices. After all, when you can revenue acceleration from a finite resource without increasing supply, why bother pumping more? As the report notes: “…Resource nationalism in […]
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.