From 1998 until 2007 I worked as a journalist covering economics, finance and business in former Soviet countries. This is a selection of my articles from that time.
Turkmen gas after Niyazov – Gas Matters, January 2007
Structured finance: Russia’s new generation of borrowers – Trade Finance, December 2006
The IPO road to metals mergers – Metal Bulletin Monthly, November 2006
Kudrin shields the cash from itchy pre-election fingers – Emerging Markets, 19 September 2006
Russian independent gas output heads for 100 bcm – Gas Matters, August 2006
Belarus business defies a hostile environment – Emerging Markets, 21 May 2006
Ukraine braced for the energy shock – Emerging Markets, 21 May 2006
Azeri oil deal shows the way – Trade Finance, April 2006
Gas price increases hit Kyiv – Gas Matters, March 2006
Turkmenistan piles gas pressure on Ukraine – Gas Matters, October 2005
Azeri deal pushes out the export finance frontier – Trade Finance magazine, October 2005
Politics throws a shadow over Russia’s oil boom – Emerging Markets, 23 September 2005
Big Russian oil gorges western loans – Euromoney, September 2005
Russia and Ukraine fight it out over gas – Gas Matters, July 2005
MDM Bank shake-up may point to sale plans – Emerging Markets, 19 May 2005
The Petersburgers move in to Russia’s gas industry – Gas Matters, April 2005
Ukraine’s economy needs business plans, not champagne – Institutional Investor, March 2005
The $69 billion question hanging over Russia’s largest gas field – Gas Matters, October 2004
How the Russian market is surviving Yukos and banking tremors – Credit magazine, September 2004
State-linked firms gorge loans as Yukos suffers – Trade Finance, July 2004
Living and working in Moscow – Efinancial Careers web site, July 2004
Shell sweats over Sakhalin cost overruns – Project Finance, May 2004
Swiss steel trader ties knot with fair Ukrainian bride – Metal Bulletin, 17 May 2004
Gas sector reform in Putin’s second term – Gas Matters, March 2004
Russia’s biggest trade bank makes its presence felt – Trade Finance, February 2004
High gold prices drive consolidation – Metal Bulletin, 9 February 2004
Balancing between liberal marketeers and the ‘men of force’ – Financial News, 1 December 2003
Cross-border deals help fire leasing boom – Trade Finance, September 2003
Boys from the KGB go after the oligarchs – Guardian, 8 August 2003
Sakhalin II bankers ponder LNG market changes – Euromoney, July 2003
Road to Chelski is paved with aluminium – Metal Bulletin, 15 July 2003
Moscow demands derivatives, but legal framework lags – Futures & Options World, June 2003
Lending doors open to aluminium companies – Trade Finance magazine, May 2003
Long-term project finance options in Russia – Project Finance magazine, January 2003
How Yukos made Russia’s biggest corporate turnaround – Financial News, December 2002
The price of Russian acquiescence in war on Iraq? Oil – ZMag, October 2002
Ukraine is a bread basket again. But who’s holding the handles? – Gemini News Agency, 26 April 2002
New managers at the helm. Where are they taking Gazprom? – Gas Matters, March 2002
Scrutinising Russian Aluminium’s finances – Metal Bulletin, 18 March 2002
Financing schemes for Russian aircraft manufacture get off the ground – Trade Finance, February 2002
Feeling the gap in the Russian oil services market – Energy Day, 15 November 2001
Russia’s oil companies close in on Gazprom – Gas Matters, September 2001
News for sale in Russian votes war – The Observer, 12 December 1999
Russia ravaged by capital flight – The Observer, 16 May 1999
Simon Pirani's archive 