Onlooker

Rep. Kanjorski's Unreasonable, Unconscionably Ridiculous Idea

Taxes should be raised so that people understand that driving is not a God given right, but a privilege. Gas prices are still too low to modify behavior.

BP Could Lose $20 Billion to Gazprom

User 164820, agreed, most NOCs, if not all, are not run for the benefit of shareholders. But that does not mean as a shareholder you can not benefit from being one. You need to make educated guesses as to whether such an investment is better than one in an IOC.

BP Could Lose $20 Billion to Gazprom

Finding good opportunities in E&P has become harder as you need to factor in that the more successful the company becomes, the more the government is likely to expropriate the asset from that company. Even smaller companies such as Urals, Imperial, et al, have all faced the same situation. Perhaps this is what makes Gazprom a buy.

Can Mexico's Pemex Be More Like Brazil's Petrobras?

I am not sure the question is whether Pemex should be more like PDVSA or Petrobras. Either would be better than what Pemex is today. While Chavez may be seeking better terms, he is still open to partnering with foreign players, unlike Pemex. Also, countries such as the UK, the US, Canada and other OECD countries have been increasing government take, so changes to contract terms is not exclusive to such regimes.