oil

The Chavezjad Doctrine: Between Myth and Speculation

The Inter-American Dialogue has recently published the works of Michael Shifter, here specifically on the dangerous alliance between Iran and Venezuela, the mastermind behind the union, Hugo Chavez, a skilled provocateur indeed and its geopolitical ramifications hindering infrastructure, human rights and international development in every regard.
The following is excerpted from his article, “The Chavezjad Doctrine: Between [...]

Zambia Begins Second Licensing Round For Oil Blocks

Oil Voice reports that right across the border from tumultuous Zimbabwe, Zambia has invited a second round of bids for licenses to explore for oil in the country, under two months after the conclusion of the first round of bidding. The second round, announced on December 26, 2009, will include 23 blocks in six of [...]

Violence in Nigeria - When Amnesty is Not Enough

Nigeria has long been recognized as the world’s fifth largest oil producer, and a major oil supplier for the United States. There is currently enough high quality crude in the Nigerian ground to pump more than three million barrels per day. Its now producing about half that, because almost all of that oil is located [...]

Shell Lawsuit Settled: How Nigerian Human Rights Move Forward

Oil company Royal Dutch Shell will pay $15.5 million to settle a lawsuit against its Nigerian subsidiary by the family of executed Nigerian environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other dissidents, the plaintiffs announced yesterday. 
The lawsuit accused Shell of complicity in the 1995 hanging of Saro-Wiwa and the murders or persecution of other environmental activists by [...]

Insightful Innovation = Softest Recession

In an era of geopolitical tumultuousness and a future deemed uncertain with regard to investor confidence in political and economic risks, Norway has much to crow about. With international investors looking to re-enter the global market, the corporate foreign policies of Norway promote autonomous free enterprise and the security of low political risk for [...]

The Need for U.S. Investment in Africa

Africa is the world’s second largest and second most populous continent after Asia, covering 20% of the world’s total land area, and home to 14% of the world’s human population, yet remains the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent. Innovative investment has not only attempted to curb this situation, but has bore fruit for those [...]

Law Lets Venezuela take over Oil Contractors

Resource Nationalism by its nature can be perceived as a government’s implementation of economic stability during lows in industry. The action is generally indicative of dire fiscal straights, and almost always an action mired in controversy. No greater is that the case than what has been reported today from the Associated Press. For a leader [...]

In Case of Emergency, Invest in Africa

Venezuelan Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs to Africa, Reinaldo Bolivar, today concluded an official visit to Angola. 
The Angolan news agency, ANGOP, reported that the Venezuelan diplomat stated, on arriving back in Venezuela, that the visit had the objective of strengthening the two nations’ cooperative ties in the fields of energy, diplomacy, politics, and indeed in their [...]

Fret over Freight - Why Piracy Happens

Political and social instability in countries and regions affects the operations of enterprises near and far. Corporations everywhere must carefully consider their business risks in an era of uncoordinated international counter-combat against coordinated piracy.
Keeping workers and workplaces safe in politically sensitive areas can be difficult and expensive. Colombia and the Philippines have storied histories of [...]

Health - A Political Risk in Nigeria

Nigeria is an underdog at the geo-political roundtable. It baffles me that the nation doesn’t receive as much international coverage as it should. The Niger delta has one of the largest reserves of oil in the world. The Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on the sector, as it accounts for 95 percent of the country’s [...]