(EnergyAsia, March 3) — Qatar Petroleum (QP) and The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell) this week signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) for the development of a large-scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project located in Ras Laffan City, Qatar. The project is called Qatargas 4.   The agreement was signed in Doha on behalf...

(EnergyAsia, March 3) — Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Shell Chemicals Limited (Shell) this week signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the development of a world-scale ethane based cracker and derivatives complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.   The agreement was signed on behalf of Qatar Petroleum by Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — Japan believes it will achieve its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 94% of 1990 levels as required by the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, the Japan Times reported quoting a government spokesman.             “We can achieve that target,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters recently. The Kyoto Protocol...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — China plans to build an ethanol plant in Brazil for the purpose of exporting the product to its own market, Charles Tang the president of the Brazil-China chamber of commerce said.   According to the AEBrazil news site, Mr Tang said China wants to popularise the use of ‘gasohol’ — a...

EnergyAsia, March 2 2005   1. You mentioned mid-2006 as the plant’s start-up date. What factors are crucial in determining your plans to proceed with the plant’s start-up? Pure Energy is in advance discussions with three large crude palm oil producers in the region to secure a long-term feedstock supply agreement or partnership. Since current mandated biodiesel...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — Oil companies dropped their pump prices six Singapore cent a litre on Monday, less than three days after they had raised them to their highest levels in more than a decade. (US$1=S$1.63).   ExxonMobil was the first to drop its prices, followed by Shell and Caltex. Last Friday, the three had...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — In the coming years, China will focus on expanding its energy ties with countries around the world, building on the work that it began recently. As its appetite for energy and natural resources continue to grow rapidly, China realises the need to develop friendly relations with an increasing number of countries,...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — The National Iranian Gas Export Co and its Australian consultant BHP Billiton are seeking the rights to market half of the gas Iran plans to export to India through a proposed US$4.5 billion pipeline passing through Pakistan. According to the PTI news agency, NIGEC/BHP, in a presentation to the Petroleum Minister...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — Indonesia has invited Malaysia and Singapore to invest in five of its oil and gas projects. The offer, made during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s official visit to the two countries last month, is being studied by companies in the two countries.   Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro described...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — Pakistan’s Privatisation Commission (PC) has invited qualified strategic investors to submit Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for acquiring 51% equity stake, with management control , of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) on an ‘as-is-where-is’ basis.   The Dawn newspaper reported that the last date for submission of Statement of Qualification is April 30,...

(EnergyAsia, March 2 2005) — Talks of oil exporting countries reducing their dollar holdings in favour of the euro or even pricing their exports in euro have been around the past few years. As the US current account and budget deficits continue to spiral out of control, pressuring the dollar lower, oil producers complain that...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — The 27-year-old U.S. system for measuring and reporting oil and gas reserves has failed to keep pace with a changing, increasingly global industry and, as a result, falls short of accurately describing industry and individual companies’ values, performance and strategies, according to the findings of a ­­six-month study released by Cambridge...

(EnergyAsia, March 2) — Petronas subsidiary Malaysia International Shipping Corp Bhd (MISC) has reported a 61% rise in net profit to RM1 billion for its third quarter ended Dec 31, on the strength of high freight rates. The company is becoming a specialist in energy transportation. (US$1=RM3.8).   For the first nine months of its current...

(EnergyAsia, March 2 2005) — Fears of a US military strike have forced Iran to look for partial cover offered by its huge oil and gas reserves at a time of tight global supply and record demand. Conveniently, Iran has stepped up its courtship of China and India, two of the world’s fastest growing and...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Vietnam has announced plans to build another two oil spill response centres in keeping with the growth of its offshore upstream oil and gas industry. The new centres to add to one now in operation are part of a national plan for responding to the growing likelihood of oil spills.            ...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — The Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and Australia’s leading resources company BHP Billiton have created a strategic alliance for joint research and development, education and technology commercialisation in scientific and technical areas for the minerals and energy industries. The agreement will involve an academic and scholarship program with the Graduate School...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — India’s gas major, GAIL, said it is actively participating in the Gas Hydrate projects under the National Gas Hydrate Programme (NGHP). The company has been using the expertise of the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) since 1996 and is engaged in carrying out multidisciplinary R & D works in oceanography...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Indian upstream company ONGC is negotiating with Russia’s Gazprom over a string of major oil and gas deals that could see the Indian firm invest up to $20 billion in the next few years, company chairman Subir Raha said. In an interview with the Financial Express, Mr Raha said he had...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — For India, cleaner fuels will come at a high cost from April 1: an additional US$600 million a month.   Unable to make their own, oil companies are forced to import clean fuels to meet the April 1 deadline to comply with Euro III emission standards in 11 major cities. The...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — India’s upstream company ONGC has bought a 26% stake equity in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) from the state government of Tripura to fund infrastructure development in the state.   The SPV will undertake the development a power plant and distribution of power from Tripura to the demand centres in India’s...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Jet fuel prices broke through the US$60 a barrel barrier in Singapore trade on Friday and have remained there since. Gasoil was quoted at US$57.70 a barrel FOB Singapore, and looks ready to test the US$60 level also if crude continues its upward push.             Gasoline’s 95 Ron grade was hovering...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Qatar has officially launched the construction of its $12.8 billion Qatargas II liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Qatargas II will process 30 billion cubic metres of gas per annum and will produce 15.6 million tonnes annually of LNG, 6 million tonnes of condensate and 1.7 million tonnes of propane and butane,...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — The Shaw Group Inc (NYSE:SGR) said its 50%-owned affiliate, Shaw Nass Middle East Ltd recently was awarded a pipe fabrication contract to supply all industrial pipe requirements for Dolphin Energy Ltd’s new gas processing plant in Qatar.   Bahrain-based Shaw Nass Middle East was awarded the contract to fabricate approximately 37,000...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Thailand’s upstream company PTTEP has set April 5 as the date of its general shareholders’ meeting to discuss dividend payment, the company’s agenda for 2005 including directors’ remuneration and warrant allotment programme for its staff. In a letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, PTTEP said the date and agenda were...

(EnergyAsia, Mar 1) — Having been thwarted repeatedly in its effort to open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling for oil, the Bush Administration and its Congressional leadership have come up with a plan for a sneak attack on the issue, claims environmental lobbyist BushGreewatch.   Rather than holding a straightforward vote on...