(EnergyAsia, October 17) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its Middle East and Central Asia Regional Economic Outlook (REO) for September 2006.   According to Mohsin Khan, the director for the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, the economic outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia region remains strong, despite security...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Sri Lanka’s state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) has named former national cricketer Asantha de Mel as chairman succeeding Jaliya Medagama who resigned last month citing personal reasons.   Mr De Mel was last the chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd (CPTSL), the company’s oil storage and distribution business that...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Crude oil exports contribute between 22% and 28% of Vietnam’s annual revenue each year, making it a vital contributor to the national economy, according to upstream company Vietsovpetro.   Vietnam’s state planners have much to be concerned about as the country’s oil output has been falling in recent years. Last year,...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — The biofuels sector in the Philippines could be boosted by Japan’s plan to build vehicles that can use both petroleum fuel and crop-based fuel.   Before he stepped down, former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told President Macapagal-Arroyo that his government was encouraging the Japanese auto industry to produce vehicles that...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Japan will assist Vietnam in mapping out a national energy master plan until 2025 through state agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).   The two sides signed an agreement in Hanoi last month detailing the scope for the Study on National Energy Master Plan. Hiroaki Nakagawa, Resident Representative of JICA in...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Korea’s National Assembly will demand that the bosses of the country’s four oil refining companies defend charges tomorrow that they are engaged in gasoline price fixing and profiteering at the public’s expense.   At a special hearing, Korea’s antitrust watchdog the Fair Trade Commission and an Assembly committee will attempt to...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Citing a global report that the Philippines has Southeast Asia’s highest windpower potential, Greenpeace wants the Philippines government to quickly pass the Renewable Energy Bill to lend weight to the development of alternative energy sources.   According to the Global Wind Energy Outlook 2006 issued by the Global Wind Energy Council...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Singapore-listed China Petrotech Holdings Limited (CPHL) said it has secured three new contracts for logging services in the Ta Zhi oil field in Xinjiang province. The services will be provided by its 60%-owned subsidiary Ba Zhou Zhong You Yang Guang Oil and Gas Technology Ltd Co and the Yanchang Oil Fields...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Singapore-listed EZRA Holdings Limited said it has obtained a written confirmation from an unnamed oil major to charter its Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility for US$265.65 million with an extension option that could be worth US$397.25 million. EZRA is a fully integrated offshore support and marine services provider serving...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Keppel Kazakhstan LLP, a unit of Singapore’s Keppel Corp Ltd, said it has launched a transportation barge, the AKKU1, built for Agip Kazakhstan North Caspian Operating Company N.V.   The launch, attended by Nursultan A Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, marked a significant milestone as AKKU1 is the first offshore vessel built...

(EnergyAsia, October 16) — Russia’s main nuclear export agency has pledged to build another two units of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China once it has completed construction of the plant’s first two units by year end.   Russia’s nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said Atomstroiexport will include improved VVER-1000 reactors and K-100-6/3000 turbo-generators in...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Foster Wheeler Ltd said its subsidiary, Foster Wheeler International Corporation (Abu Dhabi branch), has been awarded the front-end engineering design (FEED) by the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) for the Sahil, Asab and Shah (SAS) oilfield development project in the UAE.   ADCO plans to undertake the full...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Pipeline construction group Nacap Asia Pacific said its Malaysia office has been awarded a US$65 million contract to construct the Phu My – Ho Chi Minh gas pipeline in Vietnam. The project is the company’s first undertaking in the country.   The contract will be carried out for state Petrovietnam which...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — State Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) has announced plans to sharply boost its windpower capacity to 124,000 kilowatts by the end of 2007.   Taipower’s present 46 wind generators are capable of producing 76,000 kilowatts of electricity.   The company said it will set up another 24 wind generators in Taichung harbour...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Rockwell Automation last week marked its Asia Pacific Business Center’s first year of operations in Singapore with a grand opening ceremony, with Minister of State for Trade and Industry, S. Iswaran, as the guest-of-honour.   David Johnson, Rockwell’s vice president and general manager of the center, said:   “(The) Grand Opening...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Guangdong Dapeng LNG Company, owner and operator of China’s first LNG receiving terminal and trunkline, said it officially started commercial operations on September 28.   The company said it received its first LNG cargo from Australia’s North West Shelf Venture on May 26. It has since taken delivery of another cargoes....

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Australian upstream company Santos said it has made a A$1.26 per share all cash offer for Queensland Gas Company Limited (QGC), valuing the coal seam gas company at A$606 million. (US$1=A$1.33). The offer was made by wholly owned subsidiary Santos CSG Pty Ltd.   Santos CSG currently owns 3.9% of QGC’s...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Indian Oil Corp said it has paid out a total Rs14,600 million in dividend for the financial year ending March 31 2005. (US$1=Rs46).   Early this month, IndianOil Corp chairman Sarthak Behuria presented a cheque for Rs11,976 million to Murli Deora, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.   The amount...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Indonesia’s Maleo field has started natural gas production, said operator Santos of Australia.   The US$75 million project will deliver gas to Indonesian state utility, PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) under a contract signed in May 2005.   Maleo is located in the Madura Offshore PSC in the Madura Strait, 140...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — Australian Pipeline Trust (APA) announced it has executed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire the Allgas gas distribution business in southeast Queensland state from ENERGEX Limited, a Queensland state-owned corporation, for A$521 million (plus acquisition costs), following a competitive tender process. (US$1=A$1.33).   APA said it will acquire all of...

(EnergyAsia, October 13) — A delegation representing Russia’s Gazprom was in Beijing last week to firm up growing natural gas trade between the two countries. Delivery could begin as early as 2011.   The Gazprom team led by deputy chairman Alexander Medvedev met with their China National Petroleum Corporation counterparts led by vice president Zhou...

(EnergyAsia, October 12) — US oil statisticians tend to under-estimate the strength of the oil markets, said commodities broker Fimat.   With a delay of several months, the US Department of Energy on October 10 quietly released its review of last year’s oil statistics, Petroleum Supply Annual 2005. Although the PSA deals with historical data,...

 (EnergyAsia, October 12) — Resource nationalism, once the rage in the developing world, is back with a vengeance. Add that to geopolitical tensions, paper speculation, strong world demand growth and fears of oil depletion, oil prices are more likely to test new highs in the coming years than plunge back to the average US$20-30 barrel...

(EnergyAsia, October 12) — Sakhalin Energy said it has signed Letters of Intent for the provision of services during the operation stage of the Sakhalin II Phase 1 and Phase 2 assets with two companies for the contracts together valued at about $200 million.   The execution of the contracts will contribute to the development...

  (EnergyAsia, October 12) — Sakhalin Energy’s CEO Ian Craig recently provided an update of the progress of the company’s work on its oil and gas projects in the Russian Far East.   Speaking at the recent 10th Sakhalin Oil and Gas Conference at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk town, he said the project is now approaching 80% complete. The...