Kazakhstan is a relatively new nation that shares a long border with Russia. A border is one thing, but what's particularly disturbing is that it apparently also shares its neighbor's philosophical approach to dealing with Western energy companies.
As last week came to a close, Chevron
Chevron's experience follows Kazakh governmental pressure on a group of Western oil companies led by Italy's Eni
These tactics are ominously similar to those recently employed by Russia in squeezing Royal Dutch Shell
Events in the Kazakh state should be monitored carefully by Foolish energy investors. My biggest concern is that governmental heavy-handedness is occurring with greater frequency in the world's oil-producing horizons. It's one of many reasons that I'm convinced of the Foolish wisdom of keeping our investment portfolios well-stocked with energy names.
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