Bayelsa, which lies in the Niger Delta, has faced not only political tension but also renewed violence, some of which is electoral, some of which targets the oil industry, and all of which is in some sense or another political. The election is now over,  but that does not settle questions about where the politics of the region are headed.

The developments around the Trans-Caspian Pipeline project supposed to provide an undersea energy supply link between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are about to reach a critical point.

While official results from the referendum in Sudan will not be revealed until sometime in February, it has become somewhat of a foregone conclusion that Africa’s largest country is on the verge of splitting.

The ascent of Ghana as an oil exporter will shift the energy landscape in Africa, potentially heralding in a new era of development in the West African state.

According to the Washington Post, a top US official has submitted a list of Chinese companies and banks that are breaking UN sanctions on Iran to the Chinese authorities.

Last week’s BRIC countries summit in Brasilia witnessed the beginning of what will surely become a trend over the next few decades: BRIC coordination against the United States on important issues in international society.

Dubai recently announced its partnership with China in the creation of a billion dollar investment fund. Saudi Arabia recently announced its commitment to double oil exports to China by 2010.