MenuThe crisis in the Red Sea is spreading rapidly and is now set to threaten global energy flows unless decisive action is taken. What started with the Houthis, a Shi’a Islamic rebel group in control of large portions of northern Yemen trained and equipped by Iran, attacking shipping in the Red Sea to “support Hamas,”
Category Archives: Geopolitics
Angola, A Vital Member, Defects From OPEC. Now What?
Angola, the world’s 17th largest oil producer and the second largest producer in Africa after Nigeria, has left the organization following a lengthy disagreement over quotas. Only a few hours after this announcement, crude oil prices dropped by over a dollar as markets anticipated Angola’s state-owned oil company, Sonangol, to increase production. Angola now joins
Venezuela Vs Guyana: The Battle For El Essequibo’s Oil
In a pivotal development, intentionally timed between concurrent crises in Ukraine and Israel to avoid the international spotlight, Venezuela’s National Assembly (noted for its non-transparent anti-democratic character) has given the green light for a national referendum in early December to determine the status of the Essequibo territory. The only problem – Essequibo is not a
Israel-Azerbaijan Energy Deal Strengthens Strategic Partnership
In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas mega-terrorist attack on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war, which jeopardizes the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking energy deal between Azerbaijan, a secular Shia-Muslim majority nation, and Israel just took place. Azerbaijan’s state-owned SOCAR company will explore the area in the Mediterranean north of the giant Leviathan field.
Russia Uses New Arctic LNG To Dodge Energy Sanctions
Vladimir Nekrasov, a prominent executive in Russia’s energy sector who criticized Putin, has had a tragic accident. These unavoidable twists of fate mean that up to 40 of the top managers in Russian energy have died since the war in Ukraine began. Coincidentally, they all commonly express skepticism towards Russia’s energy strategy, its funding streams,
Undersea Strategic Minerals Mining : Huge Upside, Environmental Peril
Environmental advocates made an impassioned plea to the UN for a novel request: a moratorium on deep-sea mining. This call comes amid both forthcoming international meetings on the subject scheduled for 2024 and the rapid, albeit quiet, explosion of interest in deep-sea mining. Once a topic for science fiction, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has
War In Israel Will Not Damage Oil Markets Unless Iran Wants It To
Oil prices surged on Monday as fears of a broader war in the Middle East panicked investors. Worries about an escalation that could’ve affected oil-producing Middle Eastern countries caused a 4% rise in Brent Crude oil prices to $88 per barrel. After the heinous terrorist attacks in Israel committed by Hamas, which have thus far
Germany’s Infrastructure Spending Spree Won’t Solve Its Energy Problems
In one of the most important energy deals in its history, Germany is purchasing its single largest power grid thus far. It plans to acquire Dutch state-owned operator TenneT Holding BV for $20 billion Euros. In doing so, it hopes that this will help it realize its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045 through
Who Wins & Loses The New Sino-American Green Trade War?
In a bold move, the US has announced sweeping tariffs on Chinese solar cells and modules, intensifying the Sino-American trade war in the renewable energy sector. Like electric vehicles, U.S. will use the full power of its trade regulatory apparatus to stymie China’s unfair competition. This latest announcement came after a Department of Commerce probe
BRICS Expansion: China’s Energy Victory?
At a recent summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) group, which some believe can counter-balance the West, for the first time in over a decade, opted to invite six new members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE UAE0.0%). This disparate group of emerging economies has one