(EnergyAsia, October 27) — The Indian port of Kandla has begun with the construction of six new cargo berths, two of which are expected to be ready by November 2007, Business Line reported. Kandla is making efforts to recoup its position as one of India’s major port hubs with a Rs50 billion investment. (US$1=Rs45). Kandla’s...

(EnergyAsia, October 27) — India’s Petroleum Ministry said it has set up a task force to monitor liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) markets in an effort to fight black marketers, the Financial Express reported.             The ministry warned that strict action will be taken if subsidised LPG is found to be diverted to commercial use.  ...

(EnergyAsia, October 27) — California-based US engineering firm Fluor Corp said its consortium, North Caspian Constructors (NCC), has been awarded the onshore construction of the Kashagan Experimental Program facilities by Agip KCO, a company wholly owned by Italy’s Eni through Agip Caspian Sea B.V.   The project is the first of what will be a...

(EnergyAsia, October 27) — Golden Hope Plantation Bhd expects to significantly boost revenue in three to four years’ time with the start-up of its proposed biodiesel joint venture plant with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) in Banting by early 2007. Golden Hope group chief executive Sabri Ahmad said biodiesel is fast gaining popularity among...

(EnergyAsia, October 27) — IndianOil Corp Ltd said it has commissioned India’s first hydrogen-CNG (HCNG) dispensing station at its R&D centre at Faridabad near Delhi. IndianOil said the project marks a milestone in India’s quest for energy security through harnessing alternative fuels.   The station was recently inaugurated by Mani Shankar Aiyar, India’s Minister for...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Singapore-based PEARL Energy Limited said it has contracted use of a jack-up rig from ENSCO Oceanics Company for a 60-day exploration drilling program scheduled to start next March in the Block B 5/27 contract area offshore in the Gulf of Thailand.             The drilling programme will comprise six exploration wells, three...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) reported net profits of SR14.7 billion (US$3.9 billion) for the first nine months of 2005, an increase of 54% compared to the profits in the same period last year. For the third quarter, the company reported profits of SR 4.8 billion (US$1.3 billion), an increase of...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — The government has picked three private firms to team up with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to build three biofuel plants in Malaysia. According to the Malaysian Business Times, Golden Hope Plantations Bhd, Fima Bulkers Sdn Bhd of Kumpulan Fima Bhd and JC Chang Johor Group of Carotino Sdn Bhd...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Australian upstream company Clough Limited said it and joint venture partner, AMEC plc, have signed an Engineering Services Contract (ESC) with upstream company Woodside Energy Ltd.   In July, Clough AMEC was provisionally selected by Woodside whihc has now completed the final stage of the selection process by formalising the agreement....

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — China is in a position to become the world leader in wind power, according to a recent Greenpeace report.   Wind Guandong, a study of wind power potential in the heavily industrialised Guangdong province in southern China, says that by 2020 alone, the region could feasibly produce enough energy from wind...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) is inviting the public to submit comments on its proposal to build a terminal for the import of liquefied natural gas. All comments and feedback must be submitted in writing in soft copy by November 17.   In a statement, the EMA said: “Today, more than...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Aggreko plc, the global leader in the rental of power generation and temperature control services, said it has been awarded the ‘Fast Track Power Solution’ Company of the Year. Presented by Asian Power Magazine, this prestigious award signifies the valuable contribution from Aggreko into Asia’s developing power supply industries.   Scotland-based...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — French engineering group Technip will begin work on building Vietnam’s first oil refinery in Dung Quat in central Quang Ngai province late next month, said local newspapers. The town is 850 km south of Hanoi. Vietnamese media reported Gerard de la Rosa, a Technip Asia Pacific executive, telling provincial officials that...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — Thailand’s farm co-operatives will team up with US firm OCT Land & Energy LC to set up a new company, Thai Co-Op & OTC Land and Energy Co, to develop a 1.2-billion-baht ethanol plant that is expected to use cassava as a raw material. (US$1= 40 baht). According to the Bangkok...

(EnergyAsia, October 26) — CIGEC or China International Gas Exhibition and Conference 2005 will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre on Nov 2 to 4.             The event aims to facilitate deal-making by companies interested to do business in China or with Chinese companies.             Mr.Chen Xiaohou, General Economist of CPP, will give the...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — SUEZ LNG Trading S.A., a subsidiary of SUEZ Energy International, said it has signed two charter agreements involving two LNG carriers with Bergesen Worldwide Gas ASA for a period of 20 years. The carriers have a capacity of 156,100 cubic meters each and are scheduled for delivery from the Daewoo Shipbuilding...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — Singapore Petroleum Company Limited (SPC) said its third quarter net profit rose 67.9% year-on-year to S$106.9 million on revenue of S$2,231.5 million. (US$1=S$1.69). Crude and refined product prices surged to record levels on fears of supply disruption in the third quarter.   West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures traded at a record...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — India’s state oil and refining majors are in the process of setting up 20 depots across the country to buy up bio-diesel for blending it with diesel, Indo-Asian News Service reported.             Indian Oil Corp (IOC) plans to set up 10 collection depots, and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — With the past month’s hurricane-related natural gas production shut-ins approaching 250 billion cubic feet (BCF) Ð almost 7% of the Gulf of Mexico’s yearly production — and rising, the spotlight is on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports as the “supply of last resort” for natural gas users during the coming winter...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — Chinese companies will invest US$80 million to build and operate an oil storage depot facility in Sri Lanka, the South China Morning Post reported.             The depot is part of part of the Hambanthota port project in Sri Lanka’s south, the first new port to be built in the country in...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — Houston-based Transocean Inc said that India’s state upstream company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) has awarded its ultra-deepwater drillship Discoverer Seven Seas a three-year contract for drilling operations off the coast of India. The drillship is expected to complete its current three-year contract with ONGC by February 2007 and...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — PetroChina Company Limited said it enjoyed “healthy” growth across all business segments in the third quarter of 2005. The company said it increased crude oil and natural gas production, with crude oil output reaching 198.8 million barrels and natural gas output rising to 257 billion cubic feet. For the first nine...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — GE’s Oil and Gas business unit has won orders to build five additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) super-trains for Qatar Petroleum Group. These new super-trains will increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity by approximately 40 million tonnes per year over the next few years.             These projects highlight GE’s increasing presence in...

(EnergAsia, October 25) — Singapore’s PEARL Energy Limited said it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) to acquire all the issued share capital of Sebana Ltd from PT Petroland Energi. Sebana is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and is wholly owned by Petroland.             Sebana’s primary asset is a 90%...

(EnergyAsia, October 25) — Thailand’s oil and gas demand excluding feedstock for petrochemicals production grew by 4.5% to 1,174,400 barrels per day (b/d) for the first eight months of the year. According to state oil and gas company PTT Public Company Limited, consumption of refined oil products rose 2.6% to 732,500 b/d, an increase of...