May 2006

"Only a handful of mavericks will work in Iraq," says Petrel Resources' David Horgan. He is one of them. Interview by Tom Nicholls

Launching LNG developments is like the game of snooker – much harder than it looks. Alex Forbes reports on progress at the Snøhvit and Sakhalin Energy LNG export projects

In its drive to cut unit costs so that its LNG can compete in Asia, Europe and North America, Qatar has pushed technology to the limit to realise economies of scale. That has introduced a significant element of technology risk, but it is one worth taking, the Qataris say. Alexander Forbes reports from Doha

China and India have found themselves engaged in fierce competition for upstream and downstream positions across the globe as they attempt to lock in supplies for their growing economies. They are also locking horns closer to home in the pursuit of gas reserves in Myanmar, which, alongside Bangladesh, is one of the main new sources of supply in the region, reports James Gavin

The Norwegian government's plan to open up the Barents Sea has been widely viewed as a political compromise that pleases neither environmentalists, nor oil firms, Ayesha Daya reports from Norway

Billion-dollar investments by US and European companies have made Angola a high-volume oil producer, flowing crude through innovative structures installed in the country's deep waters. But now the authorities are favouring Chinese firms, Martin Quinlan writes

Central and eastern European countries have made decent progress in reforming their power and gas markets compared with many Western European states – but that is not saying much. NJ Watson writes

The government's decision to nationalise Bolivia's hydrocarbon's industry means the country's national treasure is likely to remain buried, writes Robert Cauclanis

Long-term planning and co-operation between consumers and producers will help avert future energy crises, says Lord David Howell, energy minister in Margaret Thatcher's first cabinet. Interview by Ayesha Daya

The world's first commercial, large-scale facility to make GTL diesel – a high-quality motor fuel, never to have seen the inside of a refinery – is due to start-up this month. But, despite the claimed attractive economics of the new plant, plans for other facilities are making slow progress, Martin Quinlan writes

The abundance of liquidity in the financial markets means banks have had to become more resourceful in order to win business. James Gavin looks at trends in energy finance

WHEN OIL prices were $60 a barrel last year, one influential brokerage estimated that at least $20/b of that was the result of speculation. With prices in mid-2006 trending well above $70/b, speculation surely remains a significant factor. James Gavin reports

Nuclear energy is growing in popularity again. But securing financial support for a notoriously capital-intensive technology is not easy, writes James Gavin

The Saudis are convinced that this oil boom is different – not only in its origins, but in the way the country is managing its oil wealth. Riyadh is taking a tougher position on debt, but pursuing a path of sustainable economic development. Ayesha Daya reports

This year a handful of foreign energy companies embark on gas-focused drilling programmes in Saudi Arabia, breaking into the kingdom's upstream sector for the first time since nationalisation. And more investment opportunities may arise, reports Tom Nicholls

Struggling to find secure prospects in politically stable regions, big oil has turned the oil-sands of Alberta into what the New York Times has described as the "epicentre of a new energy-based Canadian economy", writes WJ Simpson

Royalty trusts have reshaped the Canadian petroleum industry over the past five years and now they are embarking on a makeover of their own, writes WJ Simpson.

Despite being devastated by hurricanes last summer, the US Gulf of Mexico has not relinquished its position as the most important energy province in the US, writes Anne Feltus

Gas demand is growing in western Europe, driven by the power sector and large industrial users. But gas is not the only solution to the continent's energy needs, writes Martin Clark

Central and eastern Europe may follow the EU's lead in many respects, but the rising use of natural gas for electricity generation is not one of them, writes NJ Watson

The power industry in China lives and breathes coal, an abundant resource in this fast-growing Asian super state. But coal-fired power generation has come at a price, with the country facing some of the worst pollution levels in the world, writes Martin Clark.