The announcement of the agreement, just weeks before scheduled peace negotiations in Switzerland, will be seen as an expression of extra diplomatic support for Damascus by Moscow and of gratitude by the Assad regime to an ally. A December 25 accord signed between Syria and Russia allows for exploration and drilling in an area off… Keep reading →
Scotland will vote on a referendum to secede from the UK this September. A major component of that decision involves the future of the massive Grangemouth refining and petrochemical complex and oil reserves located in the Scottish portion of the North Sea. “Mr. Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, is banking on North Sea oil to underpin… Keep reading →
The EU Commission has intervened in construction of the South Stream gas pipeline on the grounds that deals signed between Russia’s Gazprom and seven European countries violate an EU law forbidding a company from acting as both pipeline operator and monopoly gas supplier. The EU energy commissioner will go to Moscow next month for talks… Keep reading →
Intensified competition between Russian gas giant Gazprom and Russian gas independent Novatek is showcasing the advantages to producers of LNG pricing flexibility, according to Eurasia Group Global Energy and Natural Resources analyst Leslie Palti-Guzman. Natural gas analysts frequently point out that there are three different pricing regions for gas – North America, Europe and Asia.… Keep reading →
In the United States, coal is facing hard times. The welcome, though unexpected expansion of unconventional natural gas resources and production in North America has made natural gas the economically attractive fuel choice for new electricity generating power plants and, in many cases, has replaced older existing coal fired plants. From 2003 to 2013 coal’s… Keep reading →
Technology start-ups and Russian oil companies are partnering up to turn flared gas into an economic benefit through gas-to-liquid generation Satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that Russia flared 35 billion cubic meters of gas in 2011 and is on par with the amount they’ve previously burned into the atmosphere.… Keep reading →
The possibility of a rapprochement in nuclear talks between the US and Iran – though they did not produce a deal – had fueled a degree of oil market optimism about Iran’s reinstatement as a global oil supplier. But even if negotiations had proved successful, political and logistical hurdles would likely have stalled any significant return… Keep reading →
Chevron has signed a $10 bin, 50-year agreement with the government of Ukraine to explore for and develop oil and gas in the Olesska field in the western part of the country. Chevron is expected to spend $350MM for exploration over two to three years. Ukraine has a strong interest in developing its domestic resources as a means of reducing… Keep reading →
ExxonMobil is famously tight-lipped and conservative, and its quarterly earnings calls rarely produce much in the way of stunning news or salacious gossip. But the company’s discussions of ongoing operations at important projects – such as massive oil sands investments, Russian gas export facilities and Alaskan infrastructure targets – touch on some of the trickiest and… Keep reading →
What Did the Oil Industry Learn From the Khodorkovsky Saga?
By Jared AndersonThe final chapter in one of early post-Soviet Russia’s most high-profile oil industry shakeups appears to be coming to a close with the largely symbolic pardon of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former head of Yukos. The company was one of Russia’s largest oil companies by reserves and production during the free-wheeling privatizations of the 1990’s when Soviet… Keep reading →