Features

Expect The Unexpected As Oil Markets Start 2010 In Ebullient Mood

If high oil prices are a good thing – which of course depends on whether you’re a producer or a consumer – then the year started with a bang. The record US$147 per barrel price of mid-2008 seems a long way off now, but in the

Book Review: A Swamp Full of Dollars: Pipeline and Paramilitaries at Nigeria’s Oil Frontier: By Michael Peel: Published by Taurus

This entertaining book is about Nigeria and the corruption caused by oil, the so-called “resource curse”. It is written by the former West Africa correspondent of the Financial Times. Michael Peel lived for some years in Lagos,

Playing The Waiting Game: Oil Storage A Key Factor To Watch In 2010

The sight of crude oil tankers sitting off the Suffolk shoreline is all too common for residents of the old-fashioned seaside town of Southwold.

Book Review: Energy And Climate Change: Europe At The Crossroads By David Buchan: Published By The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

The outcome of the Copenhagen conference may make it timely to review David Buchan’s ambitious attempt to analyse the recent history of the energy policy of the European Union (EU). The book is not an easy read, but this is not

Iraq’s Oil Potential Now Within Touching Distance As Second Round Contracts Signed

Iraq is finally coming into focus for some of the world’s big oil companies. Perhaps more than at any other time since the US-led invasion of 2003, the country’s huge oil wealth is now within grasp, or so it would seem.

A Tale of Two Basins: North Falklands Drilling Set For Early 2010 Start

Whatever the outcome, the Falklands oil and gas story is about to move on to the next chapter.After waiting years for a well to test the region’s much-hyped hydrocarbons potential – a decade, in fact, given that the last drilling

Conference Report 1: Victoria Oil & Gas, MEC Resources And Matra Petroleum Open Proceedings At Oilbarrel.com’s 30th Event

Over 350 people registered for the 30th oilbarrel.com conference in the City of London, a sure sign that this event is now the place to be for those in the know in the junior oil cap sector. Oilbarrel.com conferences provide a

Petrobras In The Driving Seat As Brazil Offshore Opportunity Emerges

A decade ago oil companies dubbed West Africa the world’s hottest offshore exploration play, as Angola’s deepwater riches were unearthed. Today, that honour goes to Brazil.

The Great Eastern Mediterranean Gas Hunt Fuels Old Regional Rivalries

A new and emerging gas province is shaping up right on the doorstep of Europe.

These are still early days but drilling success earlier this year offshore Israel has generated a great deal of excitement around the Eastern

China Celebrates Its Advance Towards World Economic Leadership, As Should Investors In Resource Stocks

It is 60 years since Chairman Mao came to power, but it was certainly not he who set China on the path to economic power. The honour for that goes to Deng Xiaoping, the leader who started a series of economic and political