(EnergyAsia, June 21) — Kuwaiti companies are looking to invest in infrastructure projects in Pakistan including an oil refinery, storage and port facilities, said leaders of both countries. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was on hand this week to welcome the visit to his country by Kuwait‘s Emir Sheikh Sabah al- Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. The Emir...
(EnergyAsia, June 21) — The Philippines province of Ilocos Norte at the northwest corner of Luzon island is planning to rehabilitate two mini-hydroelectric plants to help reduce power costs. The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (Inec) has commissioned a consultancy firm to conduct a study on two existing mini-hydro power plants along the Agua Grande river...
(EnergyAsia, June 21) — Thai state energy company PTT Plc Ltd said it plans to invest up to 4 billion pesos in the Philippines over the next five years. The expansion, focusing on the downstream industry, will be undertaken by subsidiary PTT Philippines Corp. (US$1=53 peso). In an interview with local reporters, PTT senior...
(EnergyAsia, June 21) — Indonesia has affirmed it will continue to supply natural gas and coal to Taiwan, according to a report in Taipei Times. Minister of Economic Affairs Morgan Hwang told reporters about the agreement after returning last week from a visit to Jakarta where he met with senior Indonesian officials to further...
(EnergyAsia, June 21) — China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), the country’s leading nuclear reactor builder, said it has landed a contract to build up to six reactors for power company China Huadian Group in the eastern province of Fujian. The two companies will set up Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Co Ltd to develop the reactors,...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Energy experts want Australia to step up the development of its alternative energy sector as it faces the prospect of running out of domestic crude oil reserves by 2013 if it does not make any new oil discoveries. Geoscience Australia’s chief petroleum engineer, Denis Wright, recently shocked the nation by...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — US energy major Chevron Corp and the Georgia Institute of Technology said they have formed a strategic research alliance to pursue advanced technology aimed at making cellulosic biofuels and hydrogen viable transportation fuels. Chevron Technology Ventures, a Chevron subsidiary, will collaborate with Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute and contribute up...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — A lifestock sciences conference in Australia will address key issucs like ‘How severe will oil and water shortages be by 2015?’, ‘How might climate change affect the future farm?’ and issues related to sustainability and environmental challenges. The conference, entitled ‘Farm of the Future’ is the theme for the fourth...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Bangladesh is hoping to attract Kuwaiti investment in crude oil storage facilities following last week’s visit to the country by a Kuwaiti delegation led by its Emir, Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The delegation included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Energy and Finance as well as leading businessmen from the...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Logistics firm DHL Global Forwarding said it has been awarded a US$600 million contract to provide transport services to China Nuclear Power Engineering Company (CNPEC) for phase 2 of the Ling Ao nuclear power station project located in Guangdong provice. DHL said its Chinese subsidiary, Danzas Z F Freight Agency,...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Singapore’s Keppel FELS Ltd said it has secured its fourth order from India for a KFELS B Class jackup rig. The US$182 million rig is Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd Group’s first newbuild drilling rig and is scheduled for delivery by the fourth quarter of 2009. It will be customised to...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Participants at the 17th Montreux Energy Roundtable held in Montreux, Switzerland last week lauded the Philippines for its continuing efforts to bring geothermal and wind power into the renewable energy mainstream. Marianne Haug, chairman of Germany’s Forum for Energy Policy and Technology and former World Bank Director for Southeast Asia,...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — The Philippines Senate has blocked the passing of the proposed Biofuels Act aimed at promoting the development and consumption of crop-based fuels like bioethanol from sugar cane and biodiesel from coconut. The bill would have mandated that gasoline sold at the pumps holds a 10% ethanol content while producers would receive...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) —- Energy analyst at FIMAT has defended the role played by funds and speculators in the oil markets. Although funds and “speculators” are often blamed for the current energy “crisis” of record-high oil prices, FIMAT said these “non-traditional market participants” should be thanked for considerably enhancing energy security in the face...
(EnergyAsia, June 20) — Korea’s GS Caltex has announced that it will establish the tentatively named “GS Caltex Foundation” to fulfill its social roles and responsibilities. The company said it will contribute 10 billion won per year for the next 10 years to the foundation, amounting to 100 billion won by 2015, while carrying out...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — US-listed Green Energy Resources has announced an ambitious plan to supply clean energy to China. CEO Joseph Murray said he will soon meet with business leaders in China’s shipbuilding and coal industries. The company has been working with government officials, coal industry executives and company shareholders to secure a...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — Canada’s Husky Energy said it has made a “significant” hydrocarbon discovery at the Liwan 3-1-1 field in Block 29/26 in the South China Sea. The find was made by wholly owned subsidiary Husky Oil China Ltd. The company said Liwan 3-1-1 was drilled in a water depth of 1,500 metres...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — Hoarding, not consumption, was behind the 8.8% rise in India’s petroleum product sales in May, said the Petroleum Ministry and local oil dealers. The government raised prices for certain prices in early June, but traders, businesses and dealers had begun stockpiling in the weeks before that. The price of gasoline...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will play host for three days this week to experts and policymakers on clean energy development, climate change, and energy access and security. They will be taking part in a “Clean Energy Week” at the ADB headquarters in Manila on June 20-22 where the major players...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — An alliance of German photovoltaic (PV) industry equipment suppliers companies led by Gebr Schmid GmbH has landed a sale of a turnkey photovoltaic (PV) line to India. One of the alliance members, Applied Films, said the line supports a 40-megawatt (MW) fabrication of wafer-based solar cells and modules, expandable to...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — The government has agreed to pay for the establishment of the New Zealand Clean Energy Centre in Taupo, according to a joint announcement by Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard and Taupo MP Mark Burton. Mr Mallard said: “The New Zealand Clean Energy Centre will be a national centre for the...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — Singapore-listed China Petrotech Holdings Limited (CPHL) said that its 60%-owned subsidiary in China, Ba Zhou Zhong You Yang Guang Oil & Gas Technology Limited Company, has recently secured additional logging service contracts in the Ta Zhi oilfield in Xinjiang province. This will expand the number of mud logging teams in Ta...
EnergyAsia, June 19) — The Sri Lankan government is planning to establish a state-owned upstream oil company to auction off several oil exploration blocks. The country is looking to develop its offshore hydrocarbon reserves to reduce its dependence on oil imports, said Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie. The cabinet has given the greenlight for the establishment...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — Thailand must reduce its dependence on oil as it is increasingly vulnerable to an oil-induced economic shock, said the Bank of Thailand. Citing a recent World Bank study, the central bank said Thailand consumed 6.1 barrels of oil per day (b/d) for every $1 million increase in gross domestic product...
(EnergyAsia, June 19) — China’s CNOOC Limited said the Southeast Sumatra (SES) gas project in Indonesia has been brought on stream. It is producing 55 million cubic feet per day of natural gas through four wells. The project is located about 120 kilometers off the coast of West Java in water depth averaging 30...