Analytics // Regions

“What are you waiting for?” the first words of our editor-in-chief after the New Year vacation were namely those, “you, Boltikov, have 3 hours for packing. You go to Cuba right now.”
“Come again? To Cuba? But there is no oil… “
“There is!” the editor-in-chief interrupted me, “Spain’s Repsol-YPF and Canadian Sherritt International Corp. are already there. The international companies solve the issues of the large investments. It is known that the enormous deposits are discovered there. Your goal is to learn how true this information is and whether the Russian companies will manage to participate in the Cuban projects. And finally, after a hours-long flight I set my foot on Fidel’s land…

What does a common person know about Kalmykia? Steppes in the south of Russia, Buddhism. Also the name of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who tries to lift the republic’s economy, sounds familiar for many people. However, today this region, alongside with our northern areas, can become oil-and-gas Klondike… Kalmykia’s leader Kirsan Ilyumzhinov during his visit in Moscow made a report on oil and gas exploration works in republic.

The Russian oil firms will construct petroleum refineries in Vietnam. It is conventional, that the aggressive protectionist policy and a policy of the trading wars, held by the western countries right after The Great depression (1929–1933), not only became the reason of an economic collapse, furthermore: it led to the war.

Geopolitical maneuvering between Russia and the United States is intensifying in Central Asia, with Kazakhstan serving as main arena of competition. In recent years, Kazakhstan has pursued a "multi-vectored" policy that attempts to balance the interests of Russia, the United States and China.

For Russia, North Korea is not the only -- or necessarily the biggest -- threat to the long-term security of its Far East possessions. Indeed, with China increasingly seen as coveting Russian resources, territory and access to the Sea of Japan, an argument can even be made that, for all its nuclear ambitions, North Korea represents more of a business opportunity than a risk.

The state of Russian-Chinese relations is being complicated by delays and misunderstandings over the Russian-Chinese oil pipeline project: Angarsk to Daqing. Russia is also talking to Japan about an alternative route.

After the war in Iraq, the US seems determined to increase its influence in the Gulf region. How fare it can go experienced Japan which came under US pressure not to conclude a $2 billion deal to develop a section of Iran's giant Azadegan oil field.

A bribery scandal in the Azeri oil industry has definitely reached the government. Last Friday, Kazakhstan's government rejected all accusations that it was involved in corrupt practices while dealing with foreign investors.

Talks last week in London between Libya, the United States of America and the UK seemed have paved the way for the complete lifting of UN sanctions against Libya if the country will accept full responsibility for the Lockerbie airliner bombing.

In recent days, there have been several questions if the planned Camisea project in Peru is environmentally viable and should be supported by international government organizations. The Camisea Project is an important part of Peru?s energy policy.

Total oil reserves of the Caspian Sea region are estimated to mount to over 200 billion barrels. These are the world?s second highest reserves only behind the Middle East with 700 billion barrels but ahead the United States or Western Europe with 110 billion barrels.

On 14 July, Iran has offered the US direct talks in order to discuss about its nuclear programme and issues connected to terrorism but the US administration turned down the offer. The denial of a dialog, which is very unusual in international diplomacy, shows only how complicated the different issues concerning Iran have become.

On 28 May the Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and Alexey Miller, the head of Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, announced to sign a cooperation agreement on a strategic partnership to develop the Georgian gas sector.

Since the late 1970?s and early 1980?s, when there was a tight gas supply in the United States, natural gas celebrated a comeback in North America in the 90?s. Especially trade associations spread the message, that gas was a cheap, clean, secure and widely available source of energy.

China has been very actively recently in the Eurasian region trying to gain new access to oil supplies in order to satisfy the country?s increasing energy hunger and secure supplies. China has become increasingly reliant on imported oil.

It seems that after the Iraq war is finished and a new resolution for the rebuilding of the destroyed country is in place, the fight for its 112 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the largest in the world after Saudi Arabia's, hast just began.

In March 2003, China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group), China?s second largest oil firm, agreed to buy a stake in the Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan from British Gas (BG) for $615 million. This deal was announced only four days after CNOC Ltd, China?s third largest company bought the same 8.

The Caspian Sea region, including the Sea and the littoral states surrounding it, is important to world energy markets because it holds large reserves of undeveloped oil and natural gas. The Caspian Sea's mineral wealth has resulted in disagreements between the five countries over ownership of the resources, and the region's huge energy potential has sparked fierce competition--between producers as well as consumers--over the final export routes for this oil and natural gas.

Figures released show that the average monthly wage has rocketed in Tyumen?

The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region (KhMAR) occupies a key position for the prosperity and energy needs of the Russian economy. The area enjoys a transport network that has sustained a high quality of life for individuals as well as let industry grow substantially.