Violence in Mexico could thwart hopes of a budding shale boom, as oil and gas companies operating in Texas may think twice about moving south of the border.
Could Gang Violence End Mexico’s Shale Dream? Read More »
The world currently consumes roughly 82 million barrels of oil a day. These five oil fields produce roughly 9.5 million barrels a day with West Qurna hoping to increase production by another 2 million per day. So together they currently produce about 11% of the total world consumption. If production is increased as anticipated they could be producing as much as 14% of world consumption.
The World’s Five Most Important Oil Fields Read More »
Several of the largest oil companies in the world are doubling down in Russia despite moves by the West to isolate Russia and its economy. ExxonMobil and BP separately signed agreements with Rosneft – Russia’s state-owned oil company – to extend and deepen their relationships for energy exploration. The U.S. slapped sanctions on Rosneft’s CEO
Exxon and BP Defy White House Read More »
The great hype surrounding the advent of a shale gas bonanza in California may turn out to be just that: hype. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) – the statistical arm of the Department of Energy – has downgraded its estimate of the total amount of recoverable oil in the Monterey Shale by a whopping
Bursting the California Shale Bubble Read More »
A major gas deal between Russia and China could finally be sealed this week when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits China on May 20-21 and meets with President Xi Jinping. In the lead up to Putin’s arrival, the two sides have been working on putting the finishing touches on a 30-year contract for a gas
Russia’s Weakened Hand Could Pay Off For Beijing In Major Gas Deal Read More »
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesn’t think the European community can do without the natural gas it gets from energy monopoly Gazprom. With a Russian economy starting to decline, however, it may be Gazprom that’s too strongly interconnected to the European market to break free. The narrative over European energy security reaches at least
Will Putin Lose His Eastern European Energy Gamble? Read More »
Russia and China could develop stronger economic ties as Europe pulls away in light of the annexation of Crimea. After all, Russia needs an outlet for its energy production and China’s energy needs continue to grow, so there could be a good fit there.
Russia Looks to China as Relations with Europe Deteriorate Read More »
Birth of a New Ukrainian Nation? Interview with Robert Bensh Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula is now Russia’s. It was done with an impressively organized non-violent military operation, and supported by the foregone conclusion of a referendum on independence from Ukraine. One Ukrainian soldier was reportedly killed on 18 March, after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the
What the Loss of Crimea Means for Ukrainian Energy Read More »
The results of Crimea’s referendum appears to be solidly in favor of the Crimea joining Russia. This was to be expected since the majority of the residents of Crimea are of Russian rather than Ukrainian descent and most speak Russian. The only problem is that Crimea isn’t physically connected to Russia (much like Alaska isn’t connected to the U.S.).
Russia Eyes Crimea’s Oil and Gas Reserves Read More »
The environmental impact of “fracking” has been the subject of some debate in recent years. It is the process of pumping water and some other agents into oil wells under pressure in an effort to open cracks in the rock and allow the oil and gas to get out. This process is largely responsible for the massive expansion in U.S. natural gas production allowing us to approach energy independence. So oil companies are very protective of the technology. Environmentalists on the other hand have ascribed everything from water pollution, drought and earthquakes to the process. In today’s article, we will look at a new wrinkle to the fracking debate relating to off-shore fracking.
New EPA Rule Requires Chemical Disclosure for Offshore Fracking Read More »
