(EnergyAsia, February 10) — Australian upstream company Woodside Petroleum Ltd said it has been advised by the Mauritanian government that it disputes amendments to four offshore production sharing contracts operated by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Woodside Mauritania Pty Ltd.   The amendments, which are supplementary to the production sharing contracts, were negotiated with the Ministry...

(EnergyAsia, February 10) — Myanmar has chosen to supply natural gas to China at the expense of India as competition between the two Asian giants for energy continues despite a pledge to work together. With domestic production barely meeting half its needs, India has been trying to tie up deals to import gas from Iran,...

(EnergyAsia, February 10) — ENSCO Oceanics International has won the contract to drill three development wells in the Kupe gas and condensate field in New Zealand, said operator Origin Energy Resources (Kupe) Limited. Bids have been received for the construction of the production station as momentum builds on the Kupe gas project.   Origin said...

(EnergyAsia, February 10) — Australia’s Korab Resources Limited said it has acquired the entire interest in EL24818 which immediately adjoins the Batchelor project at Rum Jungle uranium complex in the Northern Territory state. The ground is highly prospective for uranium, gold and base metals. Korab has named the project “Green Alligator.”   EL24818 covers 101...

(Energy Asia, February 10) — The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has signed five agreements with the Vietnamese authorities to invest US$950 million in an oil refinery, an oil port, a commercial urban centre, a tourist complex and a high-quality alcohol production factory in Vietnam’s central Binh Dinh province.   According to the Vietnam...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — New Zealand’s Austral Pacific Energy Ltd has named Rick Webber as its new president and CEO.   Mr Webber, a New Zealander, has some 30 years of experience in the international oil and gas industry, having worked in the Middle East, the Far East, the United Kingdom, Australia, Papua New Guinea...

(EnergyAsia, February 6) — Thailand’s oil imports for the first 11 months of last year fell 0.2% to 1,012,300 barrels per day compared with the same period in 2004, said state owned PTT Public Company Ltd. The total import value for the 11-month period stood at Bt668.397 billion. (US$1=Bt40). Crude imports fell 3.9% to 824,700...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — Singapore’s KS Energy Services Limited said it has appointed Faisal Fahad Jassim M. Al-Thani as an independent director from January 20.             Sheikh Al-Thani, a Fulbright scholar, completed his first degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma followed by a Masters in Project Management at the University of...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — Taiwan’s state-run Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) plans to build eight natural gas storage tanks in Yungan in Kaohisung County and Taichung Port in central Taiwan. The programme will cost a total of NT$48 billion (US$1 = NT$33), according to the China Economic News Service.           Taiwan consumes about 7.3 metric tons of...

(Energy Asia, February 9) — Prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Vietnam are at their highest in 11 years after rising by VND8,000 and 11,000 (US$0.50 to 0.70) per kilogram since the start of the year. The retail price of a 12kg canister now costs between VND176,000 and 178,000 (US$11 to 11.20).             The...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — Ten Australian cities, including Alice Springs, Perth and Adelaide, are vying with each other to become one of the nation’s four solar cities. Two of the short-listed by the federal government, Kalgorlie-Boulder and Townsville, are upbeat about their chances after receiving A$50,000 each to prepare a business case, which will be...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — An equal joint venture between India’s state upstream company ONGC and China National Petroleum Company has bought over PetroCanada’s oil and gas assets in Syria.             The JV company, Bergomo Holding BV (to be renamed as Himalya Energy Syria BV), is owned equally by ONGC Nile Ganga BV, the fully owned...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — Taiwan’s energy consumption from January to November 2005 grew 3.13% to 99.25 million kiloliters of crude oil equivalents (KLOEs) over the same period in 2004, the China News Agency reported.   According to Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy, energy supplies during the 11-month period edged up 1.34% from the 2004 level to123.92...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — A 210-MW coal-fired power plant on the Philippine island of Mindanao recently passed local and international standards of boiler pressure test conducted by contractor STEAG-State Power Inc. (SPI).   “The successful conduct of the tests means that the boiler of the power plant passed all applicable local and international standards of...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — China’s dependence on imported oil fell last year as rising world prices dampened the appetite of the refiners to buy crude, Xinhua reported.   In a report, the National Development and Reform Commission said China’s net import of oil fell 5.3% to 136.17 million tons last year, or 7.56 million tonnes...

(EnergyAsia, February 9) — Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phan Van Khai wants the newly-merged state coal and mineral agency VINACOMIN to help boost the country’s energy security and become a key export big player in Southeast Asia.   Mr Khai made the call at last month’s ceremony announcing the merger of two state agencies, the Vietnam...

(Energy Asia, February 8) — Oil will provide Japan with 40% of its energy needs by 2030, down from half now under a government plan to reduce its dependency on oil.   The New National Energy Strategy guidelines are expected to be adopted in June after an advisory panel to the Economy, Trade and Industry...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — India’s state upstream company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) has posted a net profit of Rs38.88 billion in the October-December 2005 quarter on revenue of Rs125.48 billion. (US$1=Rs45). The net profit was up 11% from the same quarter in 2004 while revenue edged up 3%.             The company said...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — A power industry expert said China’s power shortage problem would be reduced this year with the start-up of more generating capacity, Xinhua reported.   Zhao Zunlian, chief engineer of State Power Grid Development Company, said the country’s maximum power shortage would be less than nine million kilowatts. He did not provide...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — Vietnam is expected to receive US$6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) this year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.             Vo Hong Phuc, planning and investment minister, is upbeat that Vietnam is becoming a good place to do business.   To achieve the $6 billion target, the ministry...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — Declining oil consumption has forced Indonesia’s state oil and gas company Pertamina to reduce imports to 7.6 million barrels this month from 8.4 million barrels in January, according to the Jakarta Post. The latest imports will be less than half the volume last September before the government doubled prices in October....

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — The Thai government is accelerating the production of ethanol in an ambitious move to replace octane 95 gasoline due to be phased out next January.   Energy Minister Viset Choopibian said the increased ethanol production would be boosted by six plants, including those operated by Thai Nguan Alcohol and Khon Kaen...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — Despite nagging issues affecting uranium mining and nuclear energy, international companies are expected to set their sights on Australia as a uranium-rich country.   Mega Uranium, a Canada-listed uranium mine developer, has offered to buy South Australia’s Hindmarsh Resources for A$19.7 million, according to The Courier Mail. (US$1=A$1.3). The Canadian company...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — Japan’s Toshiba Corporation said it has agreed to acquire from British Nuclear Fuels plc its subsidiaries BNFL USA Group Inc and Westinghouse Electric UK Limited (collectively Westinghouse) for US$5.4 billion. Toshiba said the acquisition substantially expands the scale of its nuclear systems business, positioning the company as a global competitor with...

(EnergyAsia, February 8) — India is now the world’s fourth largest producer of wind energy, claims its Ministry of Non- Conventional Energy Sources. The ministry’s secretary, A.M.Gokhale, said wind supplied 4,228 megawatt (MW) of the total 7,000 MW generated by renewable energy sources into the nation’s power grid last year.   “With the present growth...