International Petroleum Finance articles

Recent articles from International Petroleum Finance

Obama vs. Big Oil.
December 1, 2008... The incoming administration of Barack Obama in the US is widely viewed as a threat to the oil industry. Obama's plans to reduce dependence on foreign oil, advance alternative energy technologies, implement caps on greenhouse gas emissions and generally transform the US into a "green economy"...

Lukoil's Repsol play hits some roadblocks.
December 1, 2008... Spaniards balk at national stereotypes, such as the manana culture and siestas, which they feel are outdated and unfair. But confirmation last month that Russia's Lukoil was negotiating to buy a stake of up to 29.9% in Repsol YPF, at a huge premium to the shares' current market value,...

Eastern Europe's big three feel recession's pinch.
December 1, 2008... The financial crisis has spread well beyond its original roots in the US. Regions that were formerly posting high rates of economic growth, such as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), are now feeling the pinch too. CEE energy heavyweights OMV, Mol and PKN Orlen are battening down the hatches,...

US shale gas lives on but price pressure mounting.
December 1, 2008... Six months ago, North America's unconventional oil and gas resources, such as US shale gas, looked like the silver bullet that would cut the US' reliance on energy imports. Advances in drilling and fracturing technologies, rising natural gas prices and easy access to credit led to a boom in...

Mexico's bold hedges.
December 1, 2008... The Mexican government looks to have moved boldly and swiftly to avoid a potential budget shortfall next year by hedging what amounts to its entire oil export volumes for next year, tying up a $1.5 billion put option package that gives it the right to sell 330 million barrels of oil at a...