(EnergyAsia, April 27) — Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a joint statement this week in Jakarta proclaiming the two nations are “strategic partners.” According to Xinhua news agency, Mr Hu was on a state visit to Indonesia after attending the Asian-African summit and the 50th anniversary of the...
(EnergyAsia, April 27) — ExxonMobil said it is studying plans for a second ethylene cracker plant. In a short statement, the company said: “The feasibility study for a second steam-cracking train in Singapore is being progressed. The new world-scale train would be located at and integrated with the existing ExxonMobil Singapore complex and would...
(EnergyAsia, April 27) — Thai integrated oil company PTT Plc is reportedly planning to build a new oil refinery once it completes the acquisition of its two oil refining subsidiaries. According to The Nation, PTT president, Prasert Bunsumpun, said it would look to build the new plant after merging Rayong Refinery Co (RRC) and...
(EnergyAsia, April 27) — “Nearly everyone believes the days of cheap oil are over, and that sooner rather than later we will need a cost- effective, environmentally prudent replacement — biofuels are one of the few options available today,” said Paul Roberts, author of ‘The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New...
(EnergyAsia, April 27) — Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has helped drive volume growth in the Port of Colombo, said the country’s Board of Investment (BOI). In the first quarter of 2005, Colombo Port’s throughput was 202,284 TEU containers, up by 6.85% from the first three months of last year. Volumes handled by SLPA amounted...
(EnergyAsia, April 26, 2005) — Thailand’s has admitted it may not be able to implement a proposed US$7-billion, 250-km energy landbridge project as a result of flagging interest from prospective overseas partners and soaring increases in material costs. According to the Bangkok Post, Prasert Bunsumpun, president of state energy firm PTT Plc, Chinese investors had...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — Shell Generating (Holding) BV, a subsidiary of The Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and Bechtel Enterprises Energy B.V., a subsidiary of Bechtel Group, Inc., have agreed to sell InterGen NV and 10 of its power plants to a partnership between AIG Highstar Capital II L.P. and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for US$1.75 billion....
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — The following appointments were reported in the April issue of EnergyAsia Report. Viset Choopiban, a former President of PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), has been named Thailand’s energy minister, replacing Prommin Lertsuridej in a major reshuffle of the Thai Cabinet. There have been reports that Mr Viset would help ease tensions...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, the exploration and production arm of Malaysia’s state oil and gas company Petronas, has discovered oil in the basement of an exploration well drilled within the Southern Malay Basin off Terengganu state, the first of such discovery in the country. The Anding Utara-1 exploration well and its...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — Shell Gas & Power and Total said their 74/26-owned Hazira liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal near Surat in the Indian state of Gujarat has begun operations. The US$600 million terminal received its first cargo on April 17 from Australia. The LNG was lifted from the North West Shelf LNG liquefaction...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — A consortium of South Korea’s GS Engineering & Construction Corp and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co has received a US$600 million order to build a gas processing plant from Qatar, Yonhap news reported. The consortium told the news service that it will build the gas condensate production facility for Laffan Refinery...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — Hong Kong-listed Panva Gas Holdings Limited said it has obtained a business licence for its 48%-owned subsidiary Changchun Gas Holdings. Panva Gas, the gas-business flagship of Sinolink Worldwide Holdings Limited, is a leading foreign investor in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas businesses in China. Its businesses comprise the...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — The Shanghai Automotive Group Company Limited (SAGC) and Shell have announced plans to launch a new joint venture to develop fast lube service facilities for motorists in China. The new joint venture, Anji Jiffy Lube Automotive Services Company Limited, will start building a network of fast lube service outlets this...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — The US House of Representatives has passed a major energy bill amid concerns that high energy costs are undermining US economic activity and consumer confidence. According to a State Department news release, the chamber voted 249-183 on April 21 to approve the measure aimed at boosting domestic production of energy and...
(EnergyAsia, April 26, 2005) — Thailand’s has admitted it may not be able to implement a proposed US$7-billion, 250-km energy landbridge project as a result of flagging interest from prospective overseas partners and soaring increases in material costs. According to the Bangkok Post, Prasert Bunsumpun, president of state energy firm PTT Plc, Chinese investors had...
(EnergyAsia, April 26) — ENERGEX said it has been recognised among 100 Australian businesses that have been working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGEX has long acknowledged the need to reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, planting more than 170,000 trees and initiating a number of other strategic projects and initiatives since 1996. ...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — UK’s Cairn Energy has provided an update of its activities in India last year. It said it has begun operations at its ‘world-class’ Mangala oil discovery in block RJ/ON-90/1 in Rajasthan state. Mangala has proven and probable (2P) reserves of 376 million barrels (mmbbls) based on secondary recovery by water...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — UK-based Foster Wheeler Energy Limited said it has been awarded a project engineering services (PES) contract by Jubail Chemical Industries Company (JANA) for its epichlorohydrin and chlor-alkali project (known as Project HASSAD) to be located in the Secondary Industries Park at Al-Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. Foster Wheeler Energy is...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Russia and Malaysia, two of the world’s most important gas producing countries, are vying to take over the Presidency of the International Gas Union (IGU) for 2009 to 2012. GAZPROM, the IGU charter member from Russian, has proposed Alexey B. Miller, chairman of the management committee and vice-chairman of the council...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — In the face of record oil and gas prices, strong drilling activity and the largest cash flow in petroleum industry history, employment by the largest US oil and gas companies declined 4.1% in 2004, the 20th annual decline in the past 23 years, according to an analysis released today by energy...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) will take over Finnish W’rtsil”s manufacturing unit in France including its 70 employees. Wartsila said the transaction completes its restructuring programme initiated in 2003 to focus on its core products including medium-speed and low-speed engines. In August 2004, W’rtsil’ sold the product rights of...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Oman Oil Company, Germany’s Oiltanking and Norway’s Odfjell will invest US$200 million to develop a major tank terminal and six deepwater marine jetties in Oman’s new Sohar port. The terminal will be able to handle 100,000-tonne vessels, Oiltanking managing director Raf van Steenbergen told local reporters. Work on the facilities, designed...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Amid the worsening energy shortages nationwide, the Chinese government has passed a law to promote the development of renewable energy sources, with emphasis on solar energy in the country’s sun-drenched western region. This includes the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. According to Xinhua New Agency, the Qinghai-Tibet...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Thailand’s Energy Ministry is lobbying the Cabinet to eliminate excise taxes on ethanol and import tariffs on engines that use natural gas as part of an energy conservation package now under consideration. According to the Bangkok Post, Energy Minister Viset Choopiban wants the ex-factory excise tax on ethanol of 0.05...
(EnergyAsia, April 25) — Canada’s Ballard Power Systems Inc said it recently held a public ceremony for the delivery of the world’s first commercial fuel cell power generator systems was at the new official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister. A unit manufactured by Ebara Ballard Corporation was delivered by Tokyo Gas, the key component...