⌝ VSG
Extractive Insight
Analysis & Opinion
Oil’s Uneasy Balance: What Tendering Teams Need to Prove in 2025
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Oil prices are softening, supply is rising, and demand growth is slowing. In 2025 tenders, operators will reward OFS companies that prove resilience, integration mastery, and leadership under pressure.
Opinion | Saudi Arabia Recasts Itself as a Strategic Energy Player
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is reshaping its global energy role, driving investor confidence, clean tech innovation, and strategic partnerships—positioning the Kingdom as a key player in energy transition.
Nigeria’s Upstream Reset: Growth
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Nigeria targets revenue growth through strategic upstream investments, infrastructure expansion, and fiscal incentives—positioning its energy sector for increased production and long-term profitability by 2026.
Energy Deals Hinge on Local Realities
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
In Iraq's crucial energy zones, foreign companies seeking lucrative deals must navigate a complex tapestry of tribal loyalties, political influence, and financial labyrinths that defy standard business playbooks.
OFS Landscape Changes
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Oilfield services face a structural reset as capital discipline, shale slowdown, offshore selectivity, and energy transition reshape the market. Adaptation—not scale—is now the key to survival.
The Extractive Game
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
In oil, gas, and mining, it’s not just geology that gets deals done—it’s people. The kind who know the rules, respect the lines, and still find a way to win.
Africa Oilfield Deals
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Africa’s oil and gas sector has long been seen as one of the last untapped frontiers, full of promise but also loaded with challenges. Closing deals here means understanding a complex mix of politics, regulations, and local relationships that can make or break a project.
West Africa’s Oil Boom
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
West Africa’s oil and gas sector is undergoing a transformation as new discoveries attract global energy firms. But the level of government involvement, financing challenges, and local participation vary widely across the region, shaping the industry’s future.
Explainer: What Is the Permian Basin?
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
The Permian Basin is one of the world’s most energy-rich geological formations, spanning West Texas and southeastern New Mexico.
The Frontier Few Understand
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Africa isn’t broken — it’s complex. For those who understand its tribal dynamics, resource politics, and ground realities, it’s not risk—it’s return. The future belongs to those who engage intelligently.
The Lithium Divide
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Combining two multinational corporations, each with its own operational nuances, geographical footprints, and corporate cultures, presents a formidable challenge. The successful integration of Allkem and Livent required a symphony of expertise, from legal and financial advisors to operational and logistical specialists.
PSA’s: Explainer
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
PSCs let oil companies explore and produce hydrocarbons, sharing profits with host governments after cost recovery, with terms varying by price and output.
The Deal Is the Terrain
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Why governments must lead with strategy, not just fiscal terms, when negotiating mining and oil agreements.
Koch Industries: A Masterclass in Private-Enterprise Strategy
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
Koch Industries’ evolution from a mid-century engineering firm into a diversified industrial conglomerate is one of the more compelling—if underreported—corporate transformations in modern business history.
How Scarcity, Geopolitics, and ESG Pressures Are Redefining Critical Mineral Supply Contracts
⌝ Arno Saffran | 5 Minute Read
As the global shift toward clean energy accelerates, the demand for critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements—has surged dramatically.