Category Archives: Oil & Gas

The Struggle for Africa – The fight to establish law and justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Posted on by
Reply

Here is my latest article published in IBA Global Insight:

While the Democratic Republic of Congo is among the world’s most resource-rich countries, it has also been crippled by war and corruption. IBA Global Insight assesses the ongoing fight to establish law and justice in the heart of Africa.

In June last year, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) celebrated 50 years of independence from Belgium. Despite the festivities, the country had little to celebrate. The DRC has been characterised by brutality for over a decade and an estimated 5.4 million people have died from the effects of the country’s two recent wars. Although the 2006 election – the country’s first free elections for four decades – suggested progress, the country has seen the rape of more than 200,000 women and children over the past 12 years. The eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, which share a border with Rwanda, have been two of the areas most affected by violence, displacement and insecurity due to continuous clashes between rebel groups, pro-government militia and the armed forces.

Published on 03-08-11. Read on here

The Belarusian 'Clapping' Revolution

Posted on by
Reply

My first blog for Huffington Post UK:

While strikes and protests the world over have dominated much of the news this year, the Belarusians are adopting a rather unusual form of anti-government protest: clapping.

In what has now become a weekly ritual that has steadily gathered momentum, on Wednesday hundreds of people once again lined the streets and clapped in silence. Why clapping you might ask? Well in June, Russian news agency Ria-Novosti reported that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had placed a ban on all forms of protest. So the Belarusians are getting their own back now and instead of chanting or holding banners and placards, they merely stand in silence and clap their hands in a taunting gesture to protest against Lukashenko’s government.

Published on 12-07-11. Read on here

BP’s Russian roulette

Posted on by
Reply

Here is my latest article published in IBA Global Insight:

In January, BP and state-owned Russian energy company Rosneft shocked the world by signing a US$16bn share swap deal. The two companies intend to jointly exploit oil and gas reserves in Russia’s Arctic shelf and make Rosneft the largest single shareholder in BP. The deal, which will also see BP increase its holdings in the former assets of Yukos oil company, occurred only a matter of weeks after Yukos’ former CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was sentenced to a further six years in prison.

A stark reminder of BP’s recent past also came shortly after, when the company reported a loss of US$4.9bn – mainly due to US$40.9bn for charges relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – making 2010 its first year of losses for 20 years. The tie-up therefore not only raises many questions about the viability of a British – Russian exploration operation, but also poses questions about the future of BP and the oil and gas industry as a whole.

Published on 04-04-11. Read on here

Lands of Opportunity: Latin American exploration market

Posted on by
Reply

Here is my first article published in IBA Global Insight:

The drama surrounding the rescue of 33 miners in northern Chile has highlighted the great potential in the country’s mining industry as well as the Latin American exploration market.

Latin America has long been known as a mineral rich continent. Nevertheless, periods of economic, political and social instability have discouraged foreign companies from investment. On 13 October, 33 miners were rescued after being trapped for 66 days in the collapsed San José mine in northern Chile. The story captured worldwide attention and turned what could have been a major blow for the country and its mining industry into a global success story. Both the rescue and the euphoria it provoked are telling of the great potential and interest in both Chile and the Latin American market as a whole.

Published on 15-02-11. Read on here

A rocky road for US-Russian relations

Posted on by

Here is my latest article published in the Guardian:

It’s been a rocky road for US-Russian relations over the past few weeks. The light-hearted images of Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev chomping on cheeseburgers in Washington brought some hope of a new era of reconciliation. Yet the arrest of 10 alleged Russian spies in the US only days later and the US secretary of state’s tour of eastern Europe and the South Caucasus have done more than enough to question whether relations have truly been “re-set”.

Published on 08-07-10. Read on here

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close