Energy Resources

OPEC cuts production; Mexico reforms oil; Vietnam expands work with China.

Next month the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan enters its eighth year. Despite the country's substantial energy and mineralogical reserves, little has been done to develop them, which might have provided an increased standard of living for the population. Foreign aid has largely bypassed the majority of the country's inhabitants, most of whom live on less than $2 a day. As a result, the rising insurgency has been able to exploit the gap between Western rhetoric and actual aid to increase its influence.

Nigerian energy officials acknowledged that despite generating hundreds of billions of dollars in wealth, the country's oil industry has done little to enhance the lives of the Nigerian people.

TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ran his 2005 campaign on the economic promise of oil revenues, but his appeal is in decline along with world prices.

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A report by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. suggests new transmission will be needed.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,389 megawatts this quarter, bringing the total to 4,204 megawatts.

LONDON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- U.K.-based utility Centrica announced it has acquired British company Semplice Energy.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- An internal European Union paper expresses fear that an energy crunch in the region could harm diplomatic relations with Russia, an analysis shows.

Crude oil prices sink lower; Turkey and Iran may reach oil deal; Russia and OPEC talk oil.

MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Russian energy officials said Thursday oil production levels could remain stable in order to meet the capacity for pipeline projects in the east of the country.

MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Kremlin and OPEC officials met in Moscow to hold talks on the status of the world oil market as Russia moves ahead with an energy troika.

MOSCOW, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Financial reports from Russian energy giant Gazprom suggest the global economic meltdown is having an effect on the firm's profit forecasts.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- In what Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called "the greatest tragedy of the 20th century,” the Soviet Union peaceably imploded in 1991. Now the 15 new nations that emerged from the wreckage are forming bilateral relationships, many of which have two points of commonality -- a desire to avoid undue Russian influence and energy. Estonia and Kazakhstan, two former Soviet republics, are intent on deepening their economic ties in a number of fields, including energy.

LONDON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The United Kingdom has overtaken Denmark as the No. 1 offshore wind producer.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- General Electric Co. said it is working on projects in Malaysia.