Only in Russia can state-controlled oil company executives buy stock in the firm with money borrowed from a bank whose capital is largely generated by the country’s state-controlled natural gas company. That would never fly in the US. Remember the controversy about former Vice President Dick Cheney’s Halliburton relationship? The Moscow Times reports: A recent 3.1… Keep reading →
Reports in a Lebanese newspaper detail a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, in which bin Sultan suggested a joint Russian-Saudi strategy to manage oil production volumes and prices, according to Platts. “‘Let us examine how to put together a unified Russian-Saudi strategy on the subject of… Keep reading →
It’s unsurprising that Russia wouldn’t want to allow Greenpeace into its territorial Arctic waters, where the country hopes to open up vast new oil and gas fields to exploitation. State-controlled oil giant Rosneft has partnered up with ExxonMobil to develop oil and gas resources on Russia’s Arctic shelf, and potentially export LNG from the Russian… Keep reading →
A crazy sounding, but apparently not-so-crazy, solution to prevent groundwater contamination at the damaged Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant involves constructing subterranean ice walls around the facility. This is reportedly a proven technology currently being piloted in Canada’s oil sands region. [Quartz] It’s been 10 years since a major blackout knocked out power to 50 million… Keep reading →
A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed major oil company reserve holdings and how investors should evaluate a company’s reserve quality, quantity and global geographic distribution. It is an interesting story about a very important topic, but a lack of clarity with regard to some of the methodology and terminology leaves many questions unanswered. However,… Keep reading →
The closing of the American West just over a century ago was thought to be the end of a long chapter of human exploration that was as inspiring and enriching as it often was destructive and painful. New evidence that the far northern reaches of the globe are becoming increasingly passable and habitable means that… Keep reading →
The US is the only country with an Arctic coastline that has not yet ratified the Law of the Sea Treaty, which could put it at a disadvantage in laying claim to what could be substantial resources on its outer continental shelf. The Law of the Sea Treaty – or more formally, the United Nations… Keep reading →
Ukraine is trying to throw off the Russian natural gas yolk, and finding some success. The former Soviet satellite is importing gas from Germany – though much of it likely originated in Russia – and neighboring countries via reverse-flow pipelines. Importing fewer volumes of Russian gas directly and newfound supply diversity puts Ukraine in a… Keep reading →
Russia must urgently reform its energy sector if it is to remain a global player in the energy markets, according to experts and business leaders speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “Russia needs to recognise the changing drivers for energy intensive industries and products,” Maria Van der Hoeven, executive director of the… Keep reading →
A pair of proposed pipeline projects may bring more than 90 billion cubic meters per year of natural gas to European markets, but this will not undermine the rationale for developing the continent’s indigenous shale resources, which could offer a range of other economic and security benefits, says Eurasia Group global gas analyst Leslie Palti-Guzman.… Keep reading →
