(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Biopetrol Industries AG and Dutch storage firm Royal Vopak have signed a long term co-site agreement that includes Biopetrol building its third production facility. The plant will be built in Rotterdam at the Vopak Terminal Botlek Noord.   Covering a total surface area of 34,000 sqm the plant will produce 400,000...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — J. Ray McDermott Far East, Inc., a subsidiary of engineering group J. Ray McDermott SA, said it has been awarded a contract by Vietnam-based Vietsovpetro to install a 298km 18-inch gas pipeline. J. Ray will perform the project in alliance with Vietnam’s Petroleum Technical Services Company (PTSC).   McDermott said contracts...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Calgary, Canada-based Dynetek Industries Ltd, a leader in developing, producing and marketing lightweight compressed natural gas (CNG) storage systems and compressed hydrogen storage systems, said it has signed a sub-project agreement with ATF Advanced Technologies & Fuels Canada Inc. (ATFCAN), to supply six CNG fuel storage systems, including related engineering and...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — The world markets for biofuels, photovoltaics, wind energy, and fuel cells are poised to expand four-fold in the next decade, growing from $40 billion in global revenues in 2005 to $167 billion by 2015, according to a report released today by US-based Clean Edge, Inc. The research and publishing firm has...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Engineering firm Foster Wheeler Ltd said that subsidiaries of its Global Power Group have been awarded a contract by a unit of the China National Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC) to supply two 75 MWe circulating fluidised-bed boilers. The boilers will be built at Qingdao Refinery & Chemical Co Ltd in China’s Shandong...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — The World Bank UN Development Business Service has issued a procurement tender for a hydropower generator for use in China.   China has received a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to construct the Cuijiaying Navigation and Power Complex Project. The government plans to apply part of the...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Australia’s Essential Petroleum Resources Limited said another upstream company Inland Oil Resources Pty Ltd (IOR) has bought into a 25% interest in the PEP151 permit in the onshore Victorian Otway Basin, northwest of Portland in Australia. The permit was previously 100% held by Essential Petroleum.   IOR is a wholly owned...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Canada’s EnCana Corporation has closed the previously-announced sale of all of its oil and pipeline interests in Ecuador to Andes Petroleum Company, a joint venture of Chinese petroleum companies, for approximately US$1.42 billion.   The sale occurred via the transfer of shares in certain EnCana subsidiaries. The sale proceeds are approximately...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — Australia’s upstream company ROC Oil has reported progress in its projects in Mauritania and Australia.   It has begun producing oil from the Chinguetti field off Mauritania, said to contain 123 million barrels of oil equivalent, started last month. Production is taking place via the 275,000 tonne floating production, storage and...

(EnergyAsia, March 17) — A total of 226 US companies and other entities reported to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program that they had undertaken 2,154 projects to reduce or sequester greenhouse gases in 2004, according to “Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases 2004”.   Releasing the report earlier this month,...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — The UAE is looking at investing in Pakistan’s power sector, reported Jang News Service. UAE’s Energy Minister Muhammad Bin Dha’en Al-Hamiti, who led a 10-man delegation to Pakistan last month, was assessing the opportunity for investments in the energy sector.   He met with Federal Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — The Premier’s Office of Taiwan has recently allowed state Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) and company, Formosa Petrochemical Corp to set their own domestic fuel prices. Last month, both companies raised their gasoline and diesel prices by US$0.03 per liter, and fuel oil by US$14.60 per kiloliter.   CPC is Taiwan’s leading...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — Thai construction firm Saha Regal Best Company (SRB) is scouting for local companies to play a role in building an oil refinery in Sri Lanka.   According to the Bangkok Post, SRB recently signed a deal with China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corp (CMEC) and PL Global of...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — Engineering firm Foster Wheeler Ltd said its Milan-based Foster Wheeler Italiana SpA has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction supervision contract by The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC) for a grassroots ethylene-glycol unit (EG2 Project) to be built at Kuwait’s Shuaiba Industrial Area.   TKOC is a joint-venture company with the...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — The spot market price for uranium recently surged past US$40 per pound uranium oxide (U3O8), its highest level since January 1980.   The uranium price first climbed to $40 per pound U3O8 in April 1976 and remained in the $40 range until January 1980. The market in the late 1970s was...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — A consortium of Russian and Czech banks has agreed to provide financing for the construction of Mongolia’s first oil refinery.   In a joint statement, Gazprombank, a subsidiary of Russian natural gas giant Gazprom, Vnesheconombank (VEB), a Russian state foreign trade bank, and Czech Export Bank said they will finance the...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — Canada’s Methanex Corporation said it has secured approximately six petajoules of additional natural gas feedstock for its 530,000 tonne per year methanol plant in New Zealand. This gas, combined with existing gas entitlements, will enable the New Zealand plant to produce approximately 230,000 tonnes of methanol in 2006.   Bruce Aitken,...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — Australian scientists trying to develop solar technology to replace coal-fired power plants in 20 years are seeking financial assistance from abroad, The Australian reported. State research organisation CSIRO, following the direction of Canberra, is backing the development of coal-fired technologies, forcing solar technology champions to raise their own funding.   Some...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — Subir Raha, chairman and managing director of Indian upstream company ONGC, has been named chairman of the newly-formed Mangalore SEZ (MSEZ) Company Ltd at its first board meeting in New Delhi last week. The company has been set up to develop the economy of the coastal zone of Karnataka state.            ...

(EnergyAsia, March 16) — China’s energy sector spent US$9.34 billion on imported technology from 2001 to 2005, Xinhua newswire reported. This was about 12.9% of the value of all technology imported into China during the five years.   Imported technology was used in major energy projects such as the Three Gorges power project, nuclear power...

(EnergyAsia, March 15) — Chemstore FZCO, a joint venture between Modern Freight Company LLC (MFC) and Horizon Terminals Limited (HTL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), recently opened the third phase of its storage facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai.   Chemstore offers a state-of-the-art storage centre for hazardous...

(EnergyAsia, March 15) — Singapore’s Keppel FELS Limited said it has secured a repeat order for a third KFELS B Class jackup rig from Awilco Offshore for US$146 million, via the exercise of an option agreement. The first and second rigs were announced in February and August 2005.   Customised to Awilco’s requirements, the new...

(EnergyAsia, March 15) — French energy major Total has named Michel Bénézit, the former director of exploration and production for Northern Europe, as President for its refining and marketing from April 1. He will also become a member of the group’s executive committee. Mr Bénézit succeeds Jean-Paul Vettier who was the unit’s president for 13...

(EnergyAsia, March 15) — Indonesia’s PT Apexindo Pratama Duta Tbk said it been awarded a US$22 million geothermal drilling contract by Chevron Geothermal Salak Ltd, a subsidiary of the US major. Apexindo will be engaged to drill in Gunung Salak, West Java for two years from the beginning of second quarter 2006. “The company is...

(EnergyAsia, March 15) — UK’s Cairn Energy Plc said it may float its core Indian exploration and production business on the Mumbai Stock Exchange. The company also raised estimates for its reserves in its key Rajasthan fields.             The company said the estimated total oil in place for Rajasthan block is now in excess of...