Between East and West: Central Asia at a crossroads
The region holds huge gas and oil reserves, but getting those resources to market poses challenges
Geopolitical factors present challenges and opportunities for the resource-rich nations of Central Asia. The region is situated between the demand centres of Europe and China, but hemmed in by what are—at least in the West—international pariah states in Russia and Iran. It is also cut off from easy access to open oceans and hence reliant on pipelines to access markets. Moscow still has significant political and economic sway in these former Soviet republics, further complicating the geopolitical balancing act for governments, NOCs and IOCs since the Ukraine invasion. And the region’s autocrats in recent years have ranged from the relatively competent and business-friendly to the brutal, cor
Also in this section
30 April 2024
While its regional neighbours reap the rewards of oil and gas success, Iraq’s hydrocarbons sector is lagging behind
29 April 2024
Although recent, firmer gas prices have blunted some price-sensitive demand, the overall growth outlook remains robust
26 April 2024
While the US has been breaking records for its premium grade crude, there are doubts over whether you can have too much of a good thing
26 April 2024
Slowing demand growth and capacity expansions will squeeze refiners in coming years