Analysts and traders have their eyes trained on Iraq, where an Al Qaeda splinter group known as the Islamic State in Iraq in the Levant seized control of Mosul – the country’s second largest city – and have reportedly made advancements toward a strategic oil refining center. The main oil production export centers do not… Keep reading →
Iraq’s Oil Ministry is taking legal action against The Republic of Turkey and state-owned pipeline operator BOTAŞ, further ratcheting up tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government over oil exports. The ministry filed an arbitration request with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris in response to reports that oil pumped from Iraqi… Keep reading →
Gazprom and CNPC look set to sign a 30-year, 38 billion cubic meter per year supply deal this week at price between $350 and $400 per 1,000 cubic meters. “The deal has been on the table for over 10 years, as Moscow and Beijing have negotiated back and forth over price, the gas pipeline route,… Keep reading →
Iraqis headed to the polls today to vote in national parliamentary elections that will decide who sits on the Council of Representatives for the next four-year term. The complicated process of new government formation and presidential selection will then unfold over the coming months. There is clearly much at stake domestically and regionally. The degree… Keep reading →
The long-running dispute over oil exports between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi federal leadership in Baghdad rattles on, with Turkey becoming increasingly vocal. Iraqi officials have yet to cement a national oil law that would standardize regulations covering exports and revenue distribution from oil shipped via pipeline from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey, where it… Keep reading →
Following Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, tensions between the West and the Kremlin have been dangerously simmering. Meanwhile, the spotlight has moved to Eastern Ukraine where unmarked soldiers appear to be keen on destabilizing the situation further. Anti-Ukrainian agitators seized government buildings and police stations making a mockery of Kiev’s sovereignty. This sets up an ideal breeding… Keep reading →
An oil export agreement between Iraqi Kurdistan and central government leadership in Baghdad is expected in days according to reports. The two sides have been meeting at a conference in Turkey. A new pipeline is being constructed that is expected to transport 1 million barrels of oil per day from Kurdistan to Turkey for export… Keep reading →
The Brent-WTI spread narrowed further yesterday, with the price differential currently around $6/bbl, as Libya continues to shake up the international oil market. “Libya, the holder of Africa’s biggest crude reserves, has become the smallest producer in the 12-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after protests halted production and shipments. Output shrank to 250,000 barrels… Keep reading →
Oil theft in Nigeria caused Shell to recently declare force majeure on its Forcados crude grade and continued sabotage could decrease May exports to the lowest levels in five years, which would make Angola the largest African oil exporter by volume. [Sweet Crude Reports] The long-awaited EPA rule to restrict carbon emissions from existing power… Keep reading →
States are battling to entice Tesla Motors to construct a $5 billion lithium-ion battery plant within their borders that could bring as many as 6,500 jobs. This Greentech Media article highlights recent news coming from each potential location – Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona – and suggests reasons why the factory should be built… Keep reading →
