(EnergyAsia, October 17) — India’s Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) plans to increase the capacity of its refinery in Mangalore city to 15 million tonne/year from 11.5 million tonne/year now. The Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) affiliate is also looking to build two grassroots refineries, Indian news media reported. According to Infraline,...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — Japan’s Showa Shell has appointed its chairman, Haruyuki Niimi, as president following the departure of the previous president, John Mills, who became a vice president at Royal Dutch Shell PLC on October 1. The oil company said it confirmed the change at a board of directors meeting last month. Mr Niimi,...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — Five Japanese companies have been awarded the rights to develop a total of six oil fields in Libya. Nippon Oil Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Teikoku Oil Co. and Inpex Corp (in partnership with France’s Total) said they beat off international competition to mark Japan’s entry into Libya’s oil...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — BP has made a strategic breakthrough into India with the signing of a letter of intent with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to form an equal joint venture covering the refining and marketing sectors in the country. One of the joint venture’s first major projects will be the construction of a...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — Malaysia’s Felcra Bhd wants to raise the palm oil content in biodiesel from its present 5% level, said chairman Hamzah Zainuddin. The state agricultural agency is working with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and local and international technical experts to develop and identify technology, which can be used to...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — The Chinese government has affirmed its support for promoting ethanol as a vehicle fuel despite growing criticisms and worry about grain security, said an official with the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC). China is worried about both energy supply security and reports that its grains harvest could fall short of...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — The governments of Japan, China, South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian countries are still a long way from realising plans to develop a regional oil stockpile plan. Trade ministers from Japan, China, South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian nations meeting in Japan last month had agreed to consider such a plan...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — The International Monetary Fund has issued a mildly bullish report on the outlook for the economies of Asia and the Middle East. The Regional Economic Outlook Report said the strengthened economic performance of the two regions in recent years is expected to continue this year and next despite the risk posed...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — Singapore’s KS Energy Services Limited has proposed an increase in its authorised share capital from S$20 million, comprising 200 million shares of S$0.10 each, to S$50 million comprising 500 million shares of S$0.10 each, by creating an additional 300 million new shares. (US$1=S$1.7). The company said it is proposing amendments...
(EnergyAsia, October 17) — The Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Establishment (OGE) of the government of the autonomous region of Iraq’s Kurdistan has signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with K Petroleum Company (KPC) to undertake field studies over an area in Kurdistan, Iraq adjacent to the Taq Taq oil field in a region considered...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — China is interested in attracting foreign investment into its refining sector, especially into the refining of heavy crudes, China Daily reported. BP is reportedly in talks with Sinopec to jointly invest in China’s downstream sector that includes building and operating refineries and retail stations, signaling a possible relaxation in the...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — The solar thermal power industry could be worth 16.4 billion Euros and create 54,000 jobs worldwide by 2025, according to a report launched in Egypt by Greenpeace, the European Solar Thermal Power Industry Association (ESTIA) and IEA SolarPaces. (US$1=0.83 Euro). The report, “Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Ð Now”, is a practical...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — Australian resources company BHP Billiton said its petroleum exploration and production operations in the US Gulf of Mexico have resumed following the devastation of Hurricane Rita in late August. But the company’s overall oil production for FY2005 will be down, largely as a result of the hurricane. BHP Billiton said...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — Subir Raha, the chairman of Indian upstream company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has survived an attempt to oust him at the company’s annual general meeting last month. Instead, Mr Raha, who is at loggerheads with his boss, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, has fired back by publishing advertisements in...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — Contracts for more than 20 energy construction projects in the Middle East worth at least US$7 billion have been or are due to be awarded in September and October. In Bahrain, Banagas awarded a US$90 million contract for the upgrade of its existing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) processing and storage units...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — The last time Japan felt its access to oil and other raw materials were threatened, it went to war, pitting it against the US and its allies in a colonial struggle for control of Asia. Today, more than 60 years after the Second World War, Japan is having a déjˆ vu...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — Dubai-based Kampac Oil Middle East has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a $70 million floating oil storage facility in Ghana. Kampac, which is involved in oil and gas exploration, building oil storage facilities and trading oil, is active in West Africa. According to Ghana’s Statesman newspaper, the company...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — Even Richard Branson wants to build an oil refinery. As consumers reel from the pain of rising oil prices, the blame game has shifted from oil producing countries for not pumping out enough crude to consumer countries for not building enough refineries to produce refined products. The US, the world’s...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — The devastating effect of killer hurricanes in the US on crude and oil product supplies are being felt half way across the world as consumers in China brace themselves for further fuel supply shortfalls for the rest of 2005. The story of tight oil supplies has dogged China throughout the year,...
(EnergyAsia, October 14) — OILspace, a leader in providing energy market information, content management tools and supply chain management solutions, said that BP Singapore Pte Limited has selected its web-based portal for real-time aggregated energy prices, news and analytics. OILwatch is being rolled out to BP professionals throughout the Asia Pacific region. OILwatch runs on...
(EnergyAsia, October 13) — The sale and use of biofuel Ð a mixture of 5% processed palm oil and 95% diesel Ð will be made mandatory in 2008, reported The Star newspaper. The move will be implemented after the Biofuel Bill is tabled and passed by Parliament next year. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister...
(EnergyAsia, October 13) — US-based Alliant Energy Corporation said it is “taking positive steps” toward selling off its interests in all 10 of its power facilities in China. Deals have been negotiated for four of 10 power plants in which Alliant Energy has investments. In a statement, the company said: “One deal has been...
(EnergyAsia, October 13) — State upstream company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said it expects to develop wind power and biofuels within two years to complement its fossil fuels portfolio. “We are É finalising plans for setting up two wind farms in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat (states) with a capacity of 120-125 MW...
(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Indian upstream company ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) has been named the sole award winner and operator for Block 127 in Phu Khanh Basin with 100% participating interest and operator ship. The basin is an undrilled deepwater basin with more than 14,000 km of 2D seismic data already acquired. Many leads...
(EnergyAsia, October 13) — The US Energy Information Administration has warned that oil and gas prices will remain high in the coming months as a result of the devastation on supply caused Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In its latest energy outlook report, the EIA said: “Prices for petroleum products and natural gas will remain high...