(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — The fuel distribution subsidiaries of Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon/Mobil have submitted their nominations to lift oil products from InterOil Corp’s refinery in Papua New Guines from March 7 through to September 2005. Toronto-based, Canada InterOil Corp said the nominations will be confirmed progressively in accordance with the established scheduling and...

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — Qatari Minister of Energy Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiya said his country and Kuwait have agreed to build a cross-border gas pipeline via Saudi Arabia, the Qatar News Agency reported.   The minister, recently in Kuwait for a regional forum on natural gas development, said Qatar is seeking permission to lay the...

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — Singapore’s Keppel FELS Limited has transferred its entire 75% interest in ENSCO Enterprises Ltd II (JVC) to ENSCO Offshore International Company (ENSCO) for US$80 million. The JVC is part of an alliance agreement with ENSCO to build, own and operate a jackup rig, ENSCO 106, valued at around US$105 million.  ...

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — Singapore’s Keppel FELS Limited said it has won a third KFELS Super B Class jackup order within a year from Norwegian Sinvest ASA through its wholly owned subsidiary, Deep Drilling Invest Pte Ltd.   Sinvest has signed an agreement with Keppel FELS to exercise the option, given last July, to build...

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) said it is looking into building a power plant in Sri Lanka.   “We are looking at setting up a 300 MW power plant in Sri Lanka. We have already submitted a proposal to the Sri Lankan government with regard to this,” said C.P....

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — Shell Gas is awaiting permission from Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to raise the price of liquefied petroleum gas, said the company’s managing director and country chairman Hassan Madani.   “Shell Gas is subsidising consumers in Sri Lanka. In other countries, we are allowed to make a margin, but in...

(EnergyAsia, Feb 18) — Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex) recently opened its massive oil depot in Quang Ninh in the northern part of the country, according to Vietnamese news wire reports. Petrolimex invested some VND100 billion to upgrade and expand what is now the largest oil depot and port system in northern Vietnam (US$1=VND15,800). The...

Malaysian state oil and gas company Petronas has awarded two production-sharing contracts to Shell and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd for the ultra-deepwater Blocks ND6 and ND7 off the east coast of Sabah. Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd is Petonas’s upstream subsidiary.             The two blocks are situated in water depths ranging from 200 to 4,000 metres...

Kogas, the state-owned Korean gas company, has selected Shell joint venture projects — Sakhalin II and Malaysia LNG — to supply up to four million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Korea over 20 years from 2008. Kogas is the world’s largest buyer of LNG and Korea is the second largest...

In response to a sharp market downturn following an explosion in the southern Iranian province of Bushehr, Eurasia Group president, Ian Bremmer, released a statement noting that the firm strongly does not believe that this blast reflects a hostile attack by the US or Israel. News of the blast sent oil prices sharply up in...

Australian upstream company Santos Limited said its 2004 replacement of proven reserves exceeded total group production for the third year in a row. Increases in proven reserves before production totalled 57 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) or 121% of production, while increases in proven plus probable reserves before production was 54 mmboe or 114%...

Environmental lobby group Greenpeace has launched a series of events around the world Feb 16 welcoming the dawn of a new era for climate protection. The Kyoto Protocol is now law and lays the ground for the international community to take the first steps in curbing harmful greenhouse emissions and combating climate change. Greenpeace celebrated...

Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are looking to sell off their stakes in the Indonesia-based PT Asean Aceh Fertilizer following prolonged production problems at the company. Operations have been affected by unstable gas feedstock supply, causing the plant to cease operations since the middle of last year. “It seems that the company could not get adequate...

The public subscription to the initial public offering (IPO) of Pakistan’s Kot Addu Power Company Limited (Kapco) will open from February 21 to 24.   In a press release, the Karachi Stock Exchange said it had approved dates of publication of offer for sale documents (OFSD) and opening/closing of subscription for the IPO of shares...

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has named Adnan Shihab-Eldin, the director of its research division, as acting secretary general. The appointment is a temporary move until OPEC ministers give unanimous support for a full secretary general.   California-based IMPCO Technologies Inc has named a board director, Mariano Costamagna, and founder of Italy’s BRC...

The Thai government is planning to offer cheap financing, promotional privileges and price guarantees to attract investors into the country’s fledgling biodiesel industry, according to a Bangkok Post report. Financing terms and promotional privileges are still being worked out. However, it has already set the buying price for biodiesel at 16.50 baht per litre and...

Hong Kong-listed property investment and coal gas producer Sino Prosper Holdings Ltd said it plans to set up a 95%-owned joint venture to import and sell liquefied petroleum gas and petroleum products in northern China. On February 4, SPGL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, entered into the agreement with Chinese partner Lang Fang Development...

India’s state-owned gas firm GAIL Ltd has signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with China Gas Holding Ltd to buy up to 10% in the Chinese company. GAIL chairman and managing director Proshanto Banerjee and China Gas managing director Liu Ming Huin signed the agreement, a GAIL press release said. GAIL will subscribe to new...

In a speech marking the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol yesterday, former US Vice President Al Gore criticised President George Bush for failing to support the treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions.             The Kyoto Protocol has been signed by 141 nations, but not the US, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases,...

US energy broker Starsupply has established a new crude and product options desk, with Mark Hallenbeck as department head. He will be joined by Peter Tindell  (crude options) and Brian Morris (crude and product options). Contact: 133 Engle Street, Englewood, New Jersey 07631, USA. Tel: 1201-5675110, Fax: 1201-5673344.   Trader Joseph Teo has left ENOC (Singapore)...

Honeywell, a leading provider of products and services for the oil and gas and energy sectors, recently inaugurated its Integration Center at the Center for Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) in Abu Dhabi. The new center is dedicated to the verification and testing of automation systems for Middle East-based customers, a technical exercise...

Praj, the India-based ethanol technology company, said it recently won a Bajaj Hindustan Ltd contract to install a large distillery attached to a sugar mill in northern India. Part of the output will be used for transportation biofuels. The order is worth over Rs. 250 million. (US$1=Rs43). The distillery, with a capacity to produce 160...

Gas producers in the Katnook area of south east South Australia have declared force majeure event as a result of “a greater than anticipated fall” in the gas flows from producing fields. The Katnook joint venture, comprising operator Origin Energy Resources Limited (20%), SAGASCO South East Inc (55.7143%) and Omega Oil Pty Ltd (24.2857%), said...

Australia’s Clough engineering group said a consortium in which it has a stake has been awarded a project management services (PMS) contract by Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producing company. The consortium includes S&B from Houston, and Al Bilad and Zuhair Fayez Partnership Consultants (ZFP), both of Saudi Arabia.   The contract is for...

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has awarded a services contract for engineering, procurement and construction management of a petrochemical expansion project to UK’s Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd.   In a statement, SABIC vice chairman and CEO, Mohammed H. Al-Mady, said:   “After the expansion, Sharq will be one of the world’s largest petrochemical sites. Production...