THERE’S $161 BILLION FOR RESOURCE INVESTMENTS LURKING HERE

Critical report this week for all project developers across the natural resource space. Showing that investment in the sector is far from depressed. In fact, available funds for energy, mining and beyond are at all-time high. That analysis comes from investment fund trackers Preqin. Who Thursday released a comprehensive report on the state of assets under … Read more

THIS OIL GIANT JUST PULLED OFF INDIA’S LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTMENT EVER

I wrote late last year about an unusual trend emerging in oil and gas M&A. Namely, a wave of outgoing global investment from E&P firms in Russia. And news this week confirmed that Russia is on the rise when it comes to global petroleum deals. Russian petro-major Rosneft announced that it is near closing on one of its biggest … Read more

CHINA STRENGTHENS ITS SILK ROAD INFLUENCE WITH THIS NATGAS MEGA-PROJECT

Big news in energy project finance this week. With a mega-project that no one thought could succeed coming through with a massive finance package. That’s the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in northern Russia. A multi-billion dollar development that appeared dubious just a few months ago — as sanctions against Russia seemed to be … Read more

INDONESIA JUST ROCKED THE MINING WORLD WITH THIS UNEXPECTED MOVE

One major event dominated mining news this week. Affecting nearly every major metal — from copper and nickel to gold and aluminum. An abrupt and unexpected change in mining laws from major producing nation Indonesia. As I wrote last Thursday, Indonesia’s mining sector has been in a state of flux. With exports of copper concentrates halting … Read more

PRIME MERIDIANS: A JOURNEY ALONG COPPER’S NEW SILK ROAD

This week in Pierce Points: E&Ps kept their good credit. A survey of U.S. oil and gas producers shows bank lines have been cut much less than expected. China hinted at a plan to control Asia’s copper. Officials want to buy concentrate and build smelters along the Silk Road. Ecuador’s mining sector rebranded itself. The government is offering better tax rates to … Read more

DOES THIS “PANIC INDEX” SHOW A MAJOR CRISIS COMING IN OIL AND GAS?

Little-reported but extremely critical data point for the oil and gas industry emerged yesterday. With insiders in the debt business saying that risk levels in the sector have risen to unprecedented levels. That came from major ratings service Moody’s. With the firm saying that one of its proprietary indexes of credit problems in the oil and … Read more