Tag Archives: Angola

News, Politics, Government

Morocco eliminate Tunisia in African Nations Championship

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African Nations Championship (CHAN) holders Tunisia were eliminated this weekend in the first qualifying round.

They drew 0-0 away to Morocco in the second leg, but fell 1-0 on aggregate after losing at home last Saturday.

Packed with stars from CAF title-winning clubs Esperance, Etoile Sahel, CS Sfaxien, Club Africain and CA Bizertin, Tunisia were expected to advance.

But a last-minute breakaway goal from striker Abdessamad Mbarki in Mediterranean resort Sousse proved decisive over two defence-dominated games.

Tunisia won the second edition of the tournament for home-based footballers with a 3-0 drubbing of Angola in Sudan two years ago.

But coach Nabil Maaloul chose only goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha from the title-winning squad to confront the Moroccans.

The 16-nation 2014 tournament is scheduled for January 11-February 1 in South Africa and Morocco will appear at the finals for the first time.

South Africa qualify automatically as hosts and Ghana and Libya have secured places after opponents Benin and Algeria withdrew.

Uganda are set to join them after building a 1-0 away advantage over Tanzania in an east Africa derby.

Midfielder Brian Majwega was the architect of the 48th-minute winner, setting up defender Denis Iguma to fire across goalkeeper Juma Kaseja into the net.

Tanzania had more possession in the eagerly anticipated Dar es Salaam showdown, but were let down by woeful finishing.

Mrisho Ngasa was repeatedly off target with long-range shots and striker John Bocco also disappointed when offered scoring opportunities.

It was the third consecutive victory for Serb coach Milutin Sredojevic since succeeding sacked Scot Bobby Williamson as Uganda coach last month.

He guided the ‘Cranes’ to World Cup qualifying wins over Liberia and Angola, and a victory over Senegal during September would take them to the play-offs.

However, Sredojevic cautioned against premature celebrations, especially given the Ugandan habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

“By winning the first leg we have got only the passports for South Africa and now we need to get the visas by winning the return match,” he told reporters.

Ethiopia host Rwanda later on Sunday in the remaining fixture this weekend with second-leg fixtures scheduled for late July.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Cosafa Cup favourites Zambia begin campaign

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Hosts Zambia embark on Sunday on a Cosafa Cup journey they hope will last seven days and finish with a record-equalling fourth title.

They face Mozambique in the second half of a quarter-finals double-header at Nkana Stadium in mining city Kitwe.

Surprise qualifiers Lesotho, who topped a qualifying group ahead of Botswana and Kenya, meet Angola in the other match.

Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) won the first two editions of the 16-year southern Africa national team championship.

They were successful again in 2006, but the closest they came to glory since was collecting silver medals twice.

Although France-born coach Herve Renard has chosen an experimental squad, his side are favoured to lift the trophy.

And he accepts the pressure is on him and his team as they try and put a miserable year for the Copper Bullets behind them.

“Every Zambian believes we will win the Cosafa Cup this year, especially as we are hosting the tournament,” admitted Renard.

“This means there is only one path for us to follow — the one that leads to the winners’ podium in Ndola next Saturday.”

Renard became a national hero in Zambia last year when his team emerged as shock winners of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

After 120 goalless minutes against Didier Drogba-skippered Ivory Coast, the underdogs won a penalty shootout in Gabon.

But little has gone right for Zambia since with a disappointing Africa Cup title defence followed by poor World Cup qualifying results.

They failed to win at the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa, drawing with Ethiopia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso and making a first-round exit.

And draws with minnows Lesotho and Sudan have left dreams of a first World Cup appearance on the verge of extinction.

Renard hopes goalkeeper Danny Munyau, defender Kondwani Mtonga and midfielder Mukuka Mulenga can lead by example in Kitwe.

The local stars were promoted to the first team for recent World Cup ties and offer experience amid exciting but untested talent.

Mozambique coach Joao Chissano has been in charge less than a month since German Gert Engels paid the price for a 6-1 World Cup drubbing in Guinea.

His Cosafa Cup build-up has been nightmarish with a spate of withdrawals owing to injuries and club commitments leading to 11 squad changes.

Almiro Lobo and Dario Khan are long-serving defenders and Alberto Diogo is a midfielder with a fondness for goals.

Striker Josimar Machaisse gave Chissano a timely boost by scoring in a 1-0 friendly victory away to Malawi last weekend.

Lesotho held Kenya 2-2 and Botswana 3-3 before defeating Swaziland 2-0 to top Group B on goal difference and book an unexpected last-eight place.

The Botswana clash stamped Likuena (Crocodiles) as a team to watch when they came from behind twice to level deep in stoppage time.

Angola dare not concede any penalties as midfielder Ralekoti Mokhahlane has proven his worth by converting two spot kicks.

Striker Thapelo Tale has also netted twice and defender Nkau Lerotholi and strikers Mojela Letsie and Tsepo Seturumane once each.

A team averaging 2.3 goals a game and full of never-say-die spirit could trouble Angola, even though they are 65 …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The U.S. Oil Import Story in 5 Charts

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By Aimee Duffy, The Motley Fool

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You can’t read the news lately without some mention of the current domestic energy boom. The U.S. is producing more oil than it has in a long time, and as a result we are importing less oil than we have in decades. Today, I’m going to take a closer look at five charts to show what it is exactly we are importing, where it comes from, where it goes, and what our energy import future really looks like.

1. Imports by type
Unless explicitly referred to as crude oil, when we read about “oil imports” the number tossed about often includes refined petroleum products such as diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline. Though the overwhelming majority of our oil imports are in fact comprised of crude oil, we do import significant quantities of refined products. In March, crude oil imports were about 7.6 million barrels per day, while products imports came to about 1.8 million barrels per day. The chart below shows the types of products and relative quantities that made up the bulk of our petroleum imports last year, not including crude oil.

Source: EIA 

2. Imports from world regions
Many politicians tout “North American” energy independence as an achievable goal in the coming years, and the chart below indicates why. As recently as March of this year, Mexico and Canada were two of our three top sources for oil imports. In fact, in January Mexico actually sent us more oil than Saudi Arabia did, the difference between imports from the two countries often comes down to volumes as small as 100 barrels per day.

Source: EIA 

You’ll notice that imports from Nigeria and Angola are among the smallest slivers in this pie chart. Light sweet crude from West Africa has almost completely been replaced by light sweet crude produced domestically in places like North Dakota and South Texas.

3. Imports to U.S. regions
Our changing import story has different effects on different regions of the country. For example, the major refining center on the Gulf Coast has drastically cut imports, as evidenced by the chart below. That move makes sense: Domestic oil is cheaper, so refiners are buying that instead.

Source: EIA 

The Midwest region is increasing imports, which sounds perplexing; after all, the Midwest is home to the Bakken Shale, the source of much of U.S. production growth right now. But the Midwest also serves as a hub for Canadian crude imports, and that line on our chart will probably continue to tick upward in the future.

4. Watch out for falling imports
Last month, the EIA released a report that indicated that if everything goes according to plan, next year the U.S. will produce more oil than it imports for the first time since 1995.

Source: EIA 

5. Surging domestic production
As the chart above shows, increasing production is a big part of

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/13/the-us-oil-import-story-in-5-charts/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Diamond Offshore Sparkles in the Deepwater

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By David Lee Smith, The Motley Fool

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You know about the tremendous increases in hydrocarbons production that have been generated onshore in just the past few years in the primary U.S. oil-centric unconventional plays. I’m referring primarily to the prolific Eagle Ford of south Texas, North Dakota’s Bakken/Three Forks, and the rejuvenated Permian Basin, which essentially straddles the lower border between Texas and New Mexico.

Nevertheless, it’s likely that in the future, the biggest discoveries of black gold will occur in progressively deeper offshore waters. I’m referring to the likes of the Gulf of Mexico — which was once thought to be on the road to depletion — Brazil‘s Santos Basin, the Cuanza Basin offshore Angola, the South China Sea, and potentially the Kara Sea of the Russian Arctic.

The offshore energy opportunities
From the perspective of how to play this expanding trend, there are a number of international oil companies that might fit the bill. For instance, unless the Russians return to their devious ways, ExxonMobil will operate in the Kara and Black seas through a newly hatched joint venture with state-controlled Rosneft.

And there’s very little drilling that occurs on our planet that doesn’t involve oilfield-services leader Schlumberger in some form or fashion. But from my perspective, it makes eminently good sense to become familiar with the deepwater drillers, such as Transocean and Diamond Offshore .

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit to currently owning Transocean shares and to having served, as a wee lad, as a junior officer of a predecessor company of Diamond. So with those admissions as a backdrop, let’s take a quick gander at two of the world’s largest offshore drillers. Each has its own strengths, and, given the increasing tendency for oil and gas producers to splash around offshore, neither is likely to follow the fate of buggy-whip manufacturers during any of our lifetimes.

Transocean’s bevy of big rigs
Swiss-based Transocean is the largest of the deepwater drillers, with 82 rigs under its at least partial ownership and operation. Fully 27 of the units are classified as “ultra-deepwater,” meaning they’re capable of plying their trade in water depths of 7,500 feet or more. Another 14 are “deepwater” rigs, meaning that they typically operate between 4,500- and 7,500-foot depths. The rest of the fleet consists of harsh-environment rigs, midwater floaters, and jackups — both standard and high-specification types.

The company currently has at least five rigs working offshore Angola, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, the North Sea, Norway, and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The last-mentioned locale leads the pack, with 15 busy Transocean rigs.

There are two issues regarding Transocean that bear monitoring by Fools thinking about investing in the company:

  • Transocean remains a defendant in a federal trial relating to the horrendous 2010 tragedy aboard its Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The New Orleans trial will probably be followed by litigation precipitated by the Gulf states, claiming damages from the oil gusher …read more

    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

KBR Awarded Subsea 7 Topsides Contract for Chevron Lianzi Offshore Project

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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KBR Awarded Subsea 7 Topsides Contract for Chevron Lianzi Offshore Project

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KBR (NYS: KBR) today announced that it was selected by Subsea 7 to perform the topsides design for the Chevron Lianzi development project in a unitized offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and the Republic of Angola.

KBR will provide laser scanning of the entire Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco topsides, FEED verification, detailed engineering and procurement services. The topsides design will include multiple equipment packages. In addition, KBR will provide the necessary assistance during fabrication, installation, pre-commissioning and commissioning phases of the project. This project will be managed from KBR‘s Houston operating center and its Luanda, Angola office.

“This award reflects KBR‘s longstanding commitment to executing projects in Africa and provides KBR with a unique opportunity to build a relationship with Subsea 7 as a new client for years to come,” said Roy Oelking, Group President, KBR Hydrocarbons. “I am confident through our experience, capabilities and team that we will deliver a successful project to our client.”

KBR is a global engineering, construction and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, industrial, and commercial markets. For more information, visit www.kbr.com.

KBR
Zac Nagle, 713-753-5082
Vice President,
Investor Relations and Communications
Investors@kbr.com
or
Marianne Gooch
Director, Corporate Communications
Media Relations Hotline: 713-753-3800
Mediarelations@kbr.com

KEYWORDS:   Angola  Congo  United States  North America  Africa  Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article KBR Awarded Subsea 7 Topsides Contract for Chevron Lianzi Offshore Project originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

An Underwater Company That's on the Rise

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By David Lee Smith, The Motley Fool

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Perhaps you’ll agree that all Foolish portfolios should contain at least a modicum of energy representation. And even more specifically, at least one oil-field services stock is especially appropriate for inclusion in today’s world.

Why not latch onto a company whose share prices has risen by about 52% since June, that is the big enchilada in its area of the services sector, and that stands to benefit materially from the rapid movement of the quest for oil offshore? There is such a company. Indeed, it’s Oceaneering International , which has morphed from a Houston-based diving company at its founding in the 1960s to a sophisticated purveyor of systems and support for drilling operations in the offshore, including in ultra-deep waters.

Oceaneering’s foursome
The company operates through four separate segments: subsea projects, subsea products, asset integrity, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Because services functions can be arcane, even for longtime energy investors, let me provide a glimpse at the roles of each of Oceaneering’s units.

The subsea projects unit is involved in a host of installation, inspection, repair and maintenance, and plug and abandonment functions. The primary locus of its operation remains the Gulf of Mexico. The subsea products segment provides a myriad of sophisticated engineered equipment for offshore exploration and production activities. Included are built-to-order subsea hardware, workover and control systems, and blowout preventer control systems.

The segment also remains the only manufacturer of a full range of crucial subsea umbilical systems. Oceaneering’s asset integrity unit is the industry leader in the provision of progressively more indispensible inspection and integrity operations for underwater systems and equipment.

The sinking robots
However, Oceaneering has become best known for its ROVs. These nearly 9,000-pound aquatic robots constitute a vital part of 150,000-pound packages. They function dependably in 10,000-foot depths of water amid 5,000 psi of pressure. They’re operated by three-person crews whose “office” is a 20-foot-long computerized control room that sits atop the rig floor.

After providing video and sonar reconnaissance of the sea floor prior to the initiation of drilling, the ROVs remain functional throughout the drilling process. Beyond that, they become especially valuable in times of accidents or other operational mishaps. Indeed, Oceaneering ROVs were crucial to the monitoring and ultimately the control of the BP and Transocean 2010 Macondo explosion and four-month gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.

At the conclusion of 2012, Oceaneering operated a fleet of 289 ROVs, up year over year from 267 units. Obviously, as deepwater drilling and subsea completions increase in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Brazil’s Santos Basin, offshore Angola, and in the South China Sea, the demand for ROVs — along with Oceaneering’s other products and services — will expand apace.

Awaiting those new floaters
That demand is also correlated to the total size of the world’s deepwater drilling fleet, which continues to expand steadily. At the conclusion of 2012, there were 93 new …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Are Scotland and England Headed for Divorce Court?

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By David Lee Smith, The Motley Fool

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We may be about to enter a period of intrigue in Scotland comparable to the events that Shakespeare poured into “Macbeth”. Amid a push for increased autonomy for his country from England, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond announced recently that Scotland will conduct a referendum in 18 months seeking to abolish its three-centuries-old union with the English.

It doesn’t take an intellect comparable to that of the Bard of Avon to conclude that the proposed separation is tied to oil and gas in the North Sea. The vast majority of British hydrocarbons emanate from waters closest to Scotland. Indeed, as Austin-based geopolitical consultants at Stratfor have noted, Scotland is responsible for fully “90% of British offshore oil production and more than half its offshore natural gas production. ”

A Scottish fortune looming?
Given that balance — or lack thereof — Salmond has said that, if separated from the other United Kingdom countries, Scotland could generate in excess of 50 billion pounds (about $76 billion) within five years. He also believes that the resulting tax revenue would permit the country to establish its own sovereign wealth funds, much as Norway has been able to accomplish from its own North Sea tax receipts.

But there are those who believe that the Scottish take on its likely proceeds may be excessive. For starters, past revenues from North Sea waters have been volatile, to say the least. As the 20th century came to an end, with crude prices hunkering around $10 per barrel, the country took in about 2.5 billion pounds in production-related taxes. And then, with that same black gold commanding up to $147 per barrel in 2008, the tax yield rose to nearly $13 billion pounds.

Dangerously dipping production
Trepidations exist in a number of quarters, however, about future North Sea production volumes. Unlike such venues as the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, Angola, or Iraq, output from the waters surrounding the British Isles is sliding. From 2.7 million barrels a day in 2001, production from the sector tumbled to 1.5 million daily barrels in 2010. Further, British oil output in 2011 reached a low not seen since the 1970s.

None of this is to imply that asset trading and hydrocarbon discoveries by the producers have all but ceased in the North Sea. As recently as 2010, for example, Norway‘s Statoil uncovered the John Sverdrup field — which may contain 3.3 billion barrels of oil — in its country’s sector. And Apache appears to be perpetually shopping in North Sea waters. About a decade ago, it bought BP‘s Forties field. And in 2011, it paid $1.75 billion for ExxonMobil‘s North Sea assets, including the sizable Beryl field.

Both Apache acquisitions are in waters that would almost certainly be accorded to Scotland in the event of a separation from England. In November, Royal Dutch Shell boosted its stake in …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Articles of Interest

‘Fairy Circles’ In Namib Desert Caused By Sand Termite Species, Scientists Suggest

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

By: Tanya Lewis, LiveScience Staff Writer
Published: 03/28/2013 02:04 PM EDT on LiveScience

The “artists” behind bizarre, barren, grassless rings dotting the desert of Southwest Africa have been found lurking right at scientists’ feet: termites.

Known as fairy circles, these patches crop up in regular patterns along a narrow strip of the Namib Desert between mid-Angola and northwestern South Africa, and can persist for decades. The cause of these desert pockmarks has been widely debated, but a species of sand termite, Psammotermes allocerus, could be behind the mysterious dirt rings, suggests a study published today (March 28) in the journal Science.

Scientists have offered many ideas about the circles’ origin, ranging from “self-organizing vegetation dynamics” to carnivorous ants. Termites have been proposed before, but there wasn’t much evidence to support that theory.

Finding patterns in circles

While studying the strange patterns, biologist Norbert Juergens of the University of Hamburg noticed that wherever he found the dirt patches (the barren centers inside fairy circles), he also found sand termites. [See Photos of the Bizarre Fairy Circles]

Juergens measured the water content of the soil in the circles from 2006 to 2012. More than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of water was stored in the top 39 inches (100 cm) of soil, even during the driest period of the year, Juergens found. The soil humidity below about 16 inches (40 cm) was 5 percent or more over a four-year stretch.

Without grass to absorb rainwater and then release it back into the air via evaporation, any water available would collect in the porous, sandy soil, Juergens proposed. That water supply could be enough to keep the termites alive and active during the harsh dry season, while letting the grass survive at the circles’ rims.

Juergens conducted surveys of the organisms found at fairy circles. The sand termite was the only creature he found consistently at the majority of patches. He also discovered that most patches contained layers of cemented sand, foraged plant material and underground tunnels — telltale signs of sand termites.

 The scientist found a few other termite species, as well as three ant species, at fairy circles in areas that get rain during the summer or during the winter, but not at all the sites he studied.

Teensy engineers

The termite behavior provides an example of “ecosystem engineering,” Juergens wrote in the Science paper. The insects appear to be feeding on the grass roots to create the characteristic rings, the study suggests. As to why the termites would create circular-shaped patches, Juergens doesn’t say.

“The paper is a useful addition to debating the origin of the fairy circles,” chemist Yvette Naude of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who was not involved in the study, told LiveScience in an email. But, Naude added, the study “does not address the key question as to what is the primary factor that causes sudden plant mortality, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Cobalt International Energy, Inc. to Present at Upcoming Howard Weil Energy Conference

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Cobalt International Energy, Inc. to Present at Upcoming Howard Weil Energy Conference

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (“Cobalt”) (NYS: CIE) announced today that James H. Painter, Executive Vice President, Gulf of Mexico, will present at the Howard Weil 41st Annual Energy Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 8:25 a.m. Central Time.

The company presentation to be used by Mr. Painter will be available on Cobalt’s website at www.cobaltintl.com in the Investors-Presentations and Publications section.

About Cobalt

Cobalt is an independent oil exploration and production company active in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola and Gabon. Cobalt was formed in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Cobalt International Energy, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Richard A. Smith, +1 (713) 579-9141
Vice President, Investor Relations, Compliance and Risk Management
or
Media Relations:
Lynne L. Hackedorn, +1 (713) 579-9115
Vice President, Government and Public Affairs

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Louisiana  Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Cobalt International Energy, Inc. to Present at Upcoming Howard Weil Energy Conference originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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By The White House

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Deborah K. Jones – Ambassador to Libya, Department of State
• James Knight – Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, Department of State

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Lesley Weiss – Member and Chair, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

President Obama said, “It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this Administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Ambassador Deborah K. Jones, Nominee for Ambassador to Libya, Department of State
Ambassador Deborah K. Jones, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Scholar-in-Residence at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC. Previously, she was Senior Faculty Advisor for National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College. From 2008 to 2011, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the State of Kuwait. Ambassador Jones joined the Department of State in 1982. Her additional overseas posts include: Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey (2005-2007), Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (1998-2001), Consular Section Chief/Regional Counselor Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1992-1994), and Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria (1990-1991). Her Washington assignments include: Director of the Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs and Iran (2002-2004) and Acting Public Affairs Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs (1994-1995). Ambassador Jones received a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.S. from the National War College of the National Defense University.

Ambassador James Knight, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, Department of State
Ambassador James Knight, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. From 2009 to 2012, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Benin. His additional overseas assignments include: Team Leader of the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mosul, Iraq (2006-2007); Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Luanda, Angola (2004-2006); Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Praia, Cape Verde (2001-2003); Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar (1995-1998); and Political, Economic, and Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia (1993-1995). In Washington, his assignments include: Director of the State Department's Office of East African Affairs (2007-2009) and Country Officer for Ethiopia (1998-2001). Ambassador Knight served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1973. He received a B.A. and an M.A. from Wichita State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

Lesley …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Exploring for Future Growth at ConocoPhillips

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By Matt DiLallo, The Motley Fool

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The work of a major oil company is never complete. Even as ConocoPhillips is spending billions to grow its production by 3% to 5% between now and 2017, it already has its eyes on growth past that point. The company is planning to spend 15% of its annual capital budget this year, or nearly $2.5 billion on longer-term exploration and appraisal projects designed to deliver growth from 2017 and beyond. Let’s drill down into three of the more interesting opportunities coming down the pipe.

China
While I’ve questioned whether we should allow American production assets to be sold to national oil companies, it does work both ways. ConocoPhillips has two joint study agreements on the Chinese mainland with Sinopec and PetroChina, which covers 1.5 million net acres of the country’s shale plays. This could prove to be an important future opportunity for the company as China, which has the third largest recoverable natural gas reserves in the world, is working to lock up its own future energy sources.

ConocoPhillips isn’t the only U.S. company operating onshore in China. Top oilfield service companies Halliburton and Schlumberger are also looking for ways to help China tap its vast resources. Schlumberger sees China as one of its key growth geographies, with its onshore joint ventures being among its most promising opportunities. Halliburton is also on the mainland, with software sales being an important area for the company as it helps operators map out the best way to tap the resources that are trapped inside the shale. As these companies work with China to unlock its vast resource potential, it could yield big future profits, especially for Conoco.

Angola
Off the coast of Africa, Conoco believes it has identified a play that is a probable analog to Brazil‘s pre-salt play. The company has 2.5 million net acres and acquired 3-D seismic confirms many promising prospects in the play:

Source: ConocoPhillips investor presentation.

The plan is to drill four wells beginning in 2014, so production is still a long way off. However, if this play does turn out to be as good as the one in Brazil, it’ll be a huge boost for Conoco in the years ahead. 

Gulf of Mexico
While the Gulf of Mexico is a fairly well-known and prolific play, it’s still an area of exploration for ConocoPhillips. The company has nearly doubled its acreage position here to 2 million net acres in the deepwater, making it the second largest leaseholder. The focus here is in emerging plays, with the Paleocene and Miocene being the areas of focus for the company.

Over the next year, the company plans to drill five wells, with an additional three possible. The one to watch is its Coronado prospect with Chevron . So far the results here have been encouraging, and the partners expect to conduct further a appraisal this year. Over the longer term, the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

This Day in History

Today in History for 12th March 2013

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Historical Events

1900 – President Steyn of Orange Free state flees from Bloemfontein
1966 – Pioneer Plaza dedicated
1976 – South African troops leave Angola
1990 – LA Raiders announce they were returning to Oakland
1995 – Letitia Vriesde runs South American indoor record 800m (2:00.35)
2012 – China records its highest trade deficit in over a decade

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1908 – Inez Courtney, NYC, actress (13th Man, Crime Ring, Raven)
1926 – Hildy Park, Wash DC, actress (To Tell the Truth)
1930 – Robin Cavendish, disabled campaigner
1934 – Rudolph Agner, CEO (Consolidated Gold Fields)
1945 – Hans van Emden, Dutch guitarist (Les Baroques)
1960 – Eldine Baptiste, cricketer (WI all-rounder early 80’s)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1570 – Jacob van den Eynden, Grand Pensionary of Holland, dies
1608 – Koriki Kiyonaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1530)
1909 – Johanna “Lena” Bakker, Dutch actress/wife of Bruno Gerlach, dies at 34
1982 – Elisabeth Zernike, Dutch writer (Course of Events), dies at 90
1992 – Barbara Morrison, actress (Proj Moonbase), dies of heart failure at 84
1998 – Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramist (b. 1893)

More Famous Deaths »

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at HistoryOrb.Com – This Day in History

News, Politics, Government

Mapping The Wealth Of The World's Billionaires

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By Luisa Kroll, Forbes Staff

The world’s billionaires increasingly hail from nearly all corners of the globe. This year we pinned down a record number of 10-figure fortunes in 64 spots including the first ever in Angola, Nepal, Swaziland and Vietnam. Yet there are still some countries that have a much higher number of billionaires than others. The U.S. has led the way since we started our wealth tracking 27 years ago. In fact, over time the percentage of billionaires from the U.S. has been relatively constant hovering just under one third. Americans represented 31% of the list entrants in 1987 and today that figure is the same. They are worth a combined $1.87 trillion, representing  just over one-third of total billionaire wealth in 2013. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

News, Politics, Government

Cardinal Turkson: Africa's best hope for pope

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Often cast as the social conscience of the church, Ghana‘s Cardinal Peter Turkson is viewed by many as the top African contender for pope.

The 64-year-old head of the Vatican’s peace and justice office was widely credited with helping to avert violence following contested Ghanaian elections. He has aggressively fought African poverty, while disappointing many by hewing to the church’s conservative line on condom use amid Africa‘s AIDS epidemic.

Turkson’s reputation as a man of peace took a hit recently when he showed a virulently anti-Islamic video, a move now seen as hurting his papal prospects. Observers say those prospects sank further when he broke a taboo against public jockeying for the papacy — telling The Associated Press the day after Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement that he’s up for the job “if it’s the will of God.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: As the Roman Catholic Church prepares to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, The Associated Press is profiling key cardinals seen as “papabili” — contenders to the throne. In the secretive world of the Vatican, there is no way to know who is in the running, and history has yielded plenty of surprises. But these are the names that have come up time and again in speculation. Today: Peter Turkson.

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Speculation about the possibility of a pope from the developing world has swirled for years as the church’s growth has moved south. In Africa, between 1978 and 2007, the number of Catholics grew from 55 million to 146 million. Latin America counts 40 percent of the world’s Catholics. In contrast, Catholic communities in Europe are in decline.

In 2009, Benedict called Africa “an immense spiritual lung” for humanity and he has shown a special regard for the continent, naming a higher percentage of Africans as Cardinals than his predecessors. He went to Cameroon and Angola in 2009 and to Benin in 2011, at age 84. Benedict showed his high esteem for Turkson by naming him to various positions of authority.

Turkson comes from humble beginnings as the child of a carpenter and vegetable seller from the mining town of Wassa Nsuta in western Ghana. He rose quickly in the Catholic Church. After attending St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Ghana, he went on to earn two masters degrees in theology and divinity in 1974 at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in New York. Pope …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

UN chief to attend Congo peace signing

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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sent out invitations to a signing ceremony later this month for the large-scale peace agreement aimed at ending the fighting in Congo.

Ban spokesman Martin Nesirky said Saturday the U.N. chief will attend the Feb. 24 event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The agreement was delayed late last month over what Ban called “procedural issues” and not over any fundamental differences in the agreement. It had been circulated to eight countries: Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Africa, Angola and Tanzania.

The peace deal is an effort at a large-scale political framework to end violence in Congo. Separate talks are taking place in Uganda between the rebel group known as M23 and Congolese officials.

Jean Baptiste Rudaseswa, a lawyer for M23, has said the plan could further destabilize Congo.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Vale: Eyes $7 Billion In Planned Investments For Africa

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Brazilian miner Vale SA (VALE) plans to invest $7 billion in seven African nations in the coming years with a focus on coal in Mozambique, iron ore and bauxite in Guinea and copper in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, said the company’s global head of corporate affairs Wednesday.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox Business Headlines