Foreign Reports - Current Work

Current Work

Foreign Reports continues to report on political developments that are highly relevant to oil markets, crude oil price formation, and related macroeconomic variables. It closely monitors and reports on the political and economic situations in places such as: Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Venezuela. The firm also reports on OPEC politics and examines what oil production decisions might be looming in the near future. Executive and legislative activities in the U.S. which affect world oil markets are also often reported on.

• Iraq: Many of the world's major oil companies currently rely on Foreign Reports for their understanding of Iraq's political events, the status of its oil industry, and the broad trends which appear to be shaping the future of the country. With the security situation in Iraq not yet suitable for international oil companies to have much of a physical presence there, and because Western news agencies have a limited number of journalists stationed throughout the country, many energy companies, governments, and financial institutions rely extensively on the political reporting and analysis done by Foreign Reports.

• Iran: The political and economic events in Iran are often discussed, yet rarely understood. Foreign Reports has shown an ability to look beyond the bluster and bombast coming out of Iran, in an attempt to understand what is really making things work in its domestic and international affairs. Recent reports have analyzed President Ahmadinejad's unique economic policies; Iranian involvement in Iraq; the effects of sanctions and the trajectory of the nuclear file; the Iranian risk premium; Iran's winter gas crisis; and Iran's inability to sell the heavy sour crude from its Nowruz and Soroush fields.

• Saudi Arabia: With extensive experience and contacts in Saudi Arabia, Foreign Reports is able to report with confidence on the country with the largest oil reserves, highest level of oil production, and the highest spare production capacity. Political and economic decisions made by the Kingdom are critical to world oil markets, and Foreign Reports closely follows these developments. Recent reports have analyzed Saudi oil policies; the Saudi viewpoint on oil prices; the development of the 500,000 b/d project soon to be brought online from the Kingdom's Khursaniyah field; and the 1.2 million b/d project at the Khurais field expected to be brought online in June 2009.