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Steve LeVine covers foreign affairs for Business Week. He previously was correspondent for Central Asia and the Caucasus for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for 11 years. His first book, The Oil and the Glory, a history of the former Soviet Union through the lens of oil, was published in October 2007. Putin’s Labyrinth, his new book, profiles Russia through the lives and deaths of six Russians. The updated paperback was released in April 2009.

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A Blog on Russia, Energy, the Caspian and
Beyond

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

An Arctic Play

The United States Geological Services says about one-fourth of the world's undiscovered oil and natural gas underlies the Arctic. Development has run into political opposition in the United States, but not across the Atlantic. In Europe, Norway and Russia are looking at how to exploit the energy underlying their respective Arctic territory.

Ed Crooks at The Financial Times has an interesting piece today on Norway's two-year drilling program. Norway is a huge, experienced player in these ultra-sensitive waters, and wants to parlay its seasoning into partnerships with Russia's Gazprom.

We've seen lots of reporting on Russia's plans to exploit its supergiant Shtokman natural gas field. Now the USGS estimates that a second Russian Arctic region, the Laptev Sea shelf, contains some 9.3 billion barrels of oil and natural gas, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report.

This is supergiant territory. It's surely, for instance, to attract much attention in the respective sides of the peak oil debate.

Photo: QwertyUSA
Rights: Creative Commons

posted by Steve at 10:48 PM

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A Business Week Top-Ten Book of 2007

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Praise for The Oil and the Glory:

A gripping account of a fascinating — and little known — region. LeVine brings to life the tycoons, inventors, politicians and crooks of the Caspian.

The result is a vivid, compelling, and wonderfully written account of a crucial part of the world.

Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2001 Nobel laureate in economics

For years, Steve LeVine produced relentless, solid reporting about the southern tier of the former Soviet Union.

Here, he more than puts it all together. He takes the story to an historical level, thereby producing a great read about the Caspian oil boom.

Robert D. Kaplan, Author of "Balkan Ghosts"

No one knows the murky world of American politics, international oil and corporate corruption in the Caspian better than Steve LeVine.

This is an unforgettable story about forgettable fixers and forgettable governments out for the big bucks.

Seymour M. Hersh, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author

LeVine’s merry romp through the new oil Klondike of the 21st century is a page turner chronicling the exotic activities of oligarchs, oil majors, explorers, crooks, wheeler dealers, pipeline builders, and Caspian politicians. We will hear more about this colorful cast if Russia continues to flex its muscles on energy supplies in the region.

Jonathan Aitken, The American Spectator

Praise for Putin's Labyrinth:

If Steve LeVine's aim … was to chill us to the marrow about post-Communist Russia, he has succeeded.

George Walden, Bloomberg

LeVine's reconstruction of a savagely botched anti-terrorist operation at a Moscow theatre is particularly effective.

Edward Lucas, The Economist

With fresh insights into the Chechen wars and Putin’s post-presidency plans, LeVine’s important take on the all-too-real machinations and bloodthirstiness from which espionage thrillers are made is both unnerving and intriguing.

Donna Seaman, Booklist

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