(EnergyAsia, March 13) — China’s top economic planning agency has called for an increase in oil refining capacity.   The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also suggested raising prices of refined-oil products currently capped by the government.   “Low refined-oil prices and a fragile supply system are major problems facing China’s refining industry,” the...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Calgary-based North West Upgrading said it is joining Alberta Economic Development (AED) in its hydrocarbon-upgrading mission to Tokyo and Beijing on March 8 to 15.   Along with promoting the AED’s Alberta Hydrocarbon Upgrading Vision 2020, the mission aims to attract and encourage Asian companies’ interests in importing value-added oil products...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — The Pakistani government is expected to announce a new policy to regulate the fledgling liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry by end June.   An industry source told the Daily News the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources will submit a proposed policy to the cabinet by mid-March for approval. The proposal...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — India’s Photon Energy Systems Limited plans to expand its solar thermal division, predicting a doubling of earnings to 60 million rupees this year. (US$1=Rs44).   The Hyderabad-based company, which manufactures solar photovoltaic and solar thermal products, expects group turnover to also double to 350 million rupees this year.   Last year,...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — China will consume 2.17 billion tons of coal and export 0.8 million tons this year, according to projections by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).   The licensed capacity of official coal mines stand at 2.26 billion tons after growing by 0.6 billion ton last year. The capacity growth continued...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Asia is expected to continue experiencing a shortfall in refining capacity for the rest of the decade as a result of the region’s strong demand for oil products, said industry officials and analysts.   Refining specialist Hussain Abd Elhamid Shareb of the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (Oapec) has predicted...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Singapore-listed SembCorp Industries has reported a 22% growth in last year’s Profit After Tax and Minority Interest (PATMI) before exceptional items (EI) to S$278.5 million. (US$1=S$1.62).   In FY2004, the company reported substantial EI arising from SembCorp Logistics’ divestment of its stake in KNI. This resulted in a gain of about...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Homegrown Concord Energy has announced plans to build Singapore’s first oil refinery — a 75,000 barrels/day condensate splitter — in more than four decades. When completed by end-2007, the US$200 million plant will be Singapore’s fourth and smallest oil refinery after ExxonMobil, Shell and Singapore Refining Company.   The plant, to...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — The Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has received the go-ahead to invest Rs8 billion to expand its existing 9.69 million t/y refinery to 15 million t/y. Its parent company, upstream company ONGC, announced the plant will be one of the country’s largest when the expansion is completed in 42 months....

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Singapore has announced it will ratify the Kyoto Protocol this year. The international treaty aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions that are largely blamed for causing global warming and climate change.   In a statement, Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, acknowledged climate change as a serious environmental challenge,...

(EnergyAsia, March 10) — Nasdaq-listed Syntroleum Corporation and Bluewater Energy Services BV have signed a letter of intent to form an equal joint venture to develop and finance the world’s first air-based gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant on an offshore floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel that could also produce oil and offer storage capabilities.  ...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Two Dutch non-government organisations (NGO) will provide funding and assistance for the building of solar ovens for use by Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.   Dutch Postcode Lottery and Stichting Vluchteling have stepped up to assist after learning that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ran out of funds for a...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Indonesian law provides that it is the government that decides tariffs, and any agreements between private companies and state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) are irrelevant, reported the Jakarta Post.             The legislation does not allow for negotiable rates, said Sofjan Wanandi chairman of the committee for national economic...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — India is aiming to increase renewables from 6% of its total energy mix now to 15% by 2032, said Vilas Muttemwar, the Minister of State for Independent Charge. He told the recent International Congress on Renewable Energy (ICORE) that renewable energy will fuel 8,000 MW of power in India by March...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Australia’s uranium mining activities will rise sharply if Canberra approves exports to China and India. The number of mines could easily double to eight on sales to China alone, said Ian Macfarlane, Industry, Tourism and Resources Minister.   He told the Courier Mail that China could absorb all of Australia’s uranium...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Jurong Shipyard, a subsidiary of Singapore’s SembCorp Marine, said it has signed a Letter of Intent with Norway’s PetroMena AS to build a second unit of a semi-submersible drilling rig for US$480 million. The Friede & Goldman Ex-D design rig will have specifications identical to the first unit secured last October....

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Singapore-listed EZRA Holdings Ltd said it has secured charter contracts for four of its deepwater anchor handling, towing and supply vessels worth potentially S$95.7 million. (US$1=S$1.62).             The contracts are for a minimum one year on average, and a maximum five years, excluding extension options averaging eight months. The value of...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina has promoted former marketing director Ari Soemarno to the president’s post, replacing Widya Purnama.             The State Enterprises Ministry also announced that Iin Arifin Takhyan, director-general of oil and gas at the mines and energy ministry, had been appointed Pertamina’s vice-president, while Achmad Faisal, deputy marketing...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Taiwan’s solar energy industry is expected to grow by more than 40% this year to NT$10 billion, said the Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economics Affairs (MOEA). By 2010, it could rise to NT$33 billion. (US$1=NT32).   The rapid growth has spurred more companies to jump into solar cell...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — Massachusetts, US-based Invensys Process Systems said it has been awarded a long-term maintenance contract with China’s Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company, Ltd, a large subsidiary of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec). Shanghai-based Invensys Process Systems China said it will provide a range of services for Foxboro automation products. The new agreement,...

(EnergyAsia, March 9) — SK Corp, Korea’s largest and Asia’s fourth largest oil refiner, has completed its acquisition of Inchon Oil Refinery Co.   SK’s new subsidiary SK Inchon Oil Refinery Co has named Choi Sang-hoon chief executive officer.   SK took over the financially-strapped Inchon Oil Refinery for around 1.6 trillion won last year....

(EnergyAsia, March 8) — The Indian government might try to raise domestic LPG and kerosene prices in the new fiscal year starting April 1. The Rangarajan Committee, which is looking into the issues of pricing and taxation of major oil products, has proposed an initial hike of Rs 75 per cylinder for LPG and Rs...

(EnergyAsia, March 8) — India and China could soon be cooperating to buy crude oil from the international market with the aim of securing the lowest price.   IndianOil Corp and Sinopec are discussing setting up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to participate in the Singapore Platt window for Oman and Dubai crude oil.  ...

  (EnergyAsia, March 8) — IndianOil Corp has declared a success the recently ended 14th International Aviation Conference held in Hyderabad city. Experts presented about 20 technical papers on India’s infrastructure needs, the environmental and security issues facing the country, and the aviation business.   The conference brought together more than 100 delegates from all...

(EnergyAsia, March 8) — Malaysia’s economic outlook has worsened following last month’s surprise decision by the government to raise fuel prices by between 18.5% and 23.5%, said MayBanSecurities.             In a special report, MayBan said:”We believe raising the (fuel) prices will dampen economic growth. The government’s move to hike gasoline and diesel pump prices by...