By John Lee. Talks between ExxonMobil and Iraq on the multi-billion-dollar Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP) have reportedly reached an impasse. According to Reuters, two sides differ on contract terms and costs. Ian Thom, principal analyst at consultancy Wood Mackenzie, told the news agency: “The CSSP would be expensive and challenging but there’s opportunity here […]
Nearly a week has passed since the finalisation of Iraq's fourth round of oil licences, this time relating to oil and gas exploration blocks. In the meantime, the debate has rumbled on regarding the results of the auction, with some regarding it as a success and others as a failure. Among the professionals, the consensus […]
Let's start with a little test: Can you rank the following economies in order of the expected risk of their defaulting on their sovereign debt – Ireland, Argentina, Dubai, Greece, Iraq? The correct order, based on the cost using credit default swaps (CDS) to insure their debt against default, is: Greece (riskiest), Ireland, Argentina, Dubai, […]
