(EnergyAsia, March 29, 2017, Wednesday) — Despite a near doubling in crude oil prices over the past year, the resources-dependent economies of Central Asia are nowhere near a full recovery and will continue to struggle in the near term, said the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB)….
CENTRAL ASIA: Kazakhstan more resilient than Azerbaijan in adjusting to lower oil prices, says Moody’s
(EnergyAsia, March 28 2017, Tuesday) – US ratings agency Moody’s said Kazakhstan has been more resilient than Azerbaijan in adjusting to the collapse of oil prices since mid-2014….
AZERBAIJAN: State oil firm’s finances under pressure, could be downgraded, says Fitch
(EnergyAsia, March 21 2017, Tuesday) — US ratings agency Fitch said Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, faces the risk of a credit downgrade due to its continuing financial struggles….
KAZAKHSTAN: Economic growth to pick up after sluggish 2016, says IMF
(EnergyAsia, March 17 2017, Friday) — Kazakhstan’s economy will continue to recover with growth projected at 2.5% in 2017 to follow through last year’s 1% expansion and 2015’s 3.7% contraction, predicts the International Monetary Fund (IMF)….
AUSTRALIA: Oil refining capacity at lowest level in over 50 years
(EnergyAsia, March 8, 2017, Wednesday) — Australia has been importing petroleum products at a rate faster than its oil companies have been shutting down refining capacity this decade, an analysis of official data has shown….
MALAYSIA: Petronas secures Saudi Aramco’s investment in important refinery-petrochemical project
(EnergyAsia, March 3 2017, Friday) — Saudi Arabia has handed Malaysia a major diplomatic and economic prize by agreeing to pump in a total of US$7 billion in a US$27 billion oil refinery-petrochemical complex that had been struggling to attract investors….