Winds of Change has an interesting take on Russia and Turkmenistan signing a pipeline deal that is very profitable:

I've talked about the quiet importance of "pipeline politics" before on this blog, especially as it applies to Central Asia. Well, Russia just struck a ridiculously favourable pipeline deal that will generate $300 billion for Russia and $200 billion for Turkmenistan over its 25-year lifetime.

Read the post and the article. Russia has positioned itself to be a huge player in the energy markets. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. The US must strike some agreements before they and the Chinese get too close.