(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — French major Total announces said its wholly-owned subsidiary Total E&P Malaysia has signed a production sharing contract with national oil company Petronas. The contract covers Blocks PM303 and PM324, located around 100 km offshore Peninsular Malaysia in 50 to 80 metres of water depth. Total E&P Malaysia will hold a (more…)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Austral Pacific sells second asset
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — New Zealand’s Austral Pacific Energy Ltd said it has sold off non-core assets in Papua New Guinea to focus on its New Zealand projects. It has agreed to off its interest in Petroleum Prospecting Licenses (PPLs) 235 and 261 to Foreland Oil Limited, a subsidiary company of Rift Oil...
COMMENT: Is a good old gas-to-liquids fuel more ethical than biofuels, cleaner than conventional fue
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — This question came to mind as I sat through a background briefing on gas-to-liquid fuel at Shell Singapore’s office last month. Check out www.RenewablesReport.Blogspot.com. Liang Kok Siang, general manager for marketing at the Malaysia-based Shell MDS (M) Sdn Bhd, introduced the fuel to a small group of journalists. GTL...
AUSTRALIA: Tasmanian government acknowledges progress made by Empire Energy
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — Empire Energy Corporation International said the Tasmanian state government of Australia is “pleased” with the company’s recent progress in finalising plans to start drilling for oil and natural gas on its onshore Tasmanian Basin licence area by August. These plans, described in a May 6 analyst report published by...
CHINA: Australia’s Linc Energy signs MOU with Huadian Power Corp
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Monday) — Australia’s Linc Energy Ltd said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China’s Huadian Coal Industry Group, a company jointly owned by the China Huadian Corporation and the Huadian Power International Corporation Ltd. China Huadian Corporation is one of five companies in China that is permitted to...
CHINA: Cathay Pacific raised fuel surcharge
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — Cathay Pacific Airways said the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong has granted its request to increase its passenger fuel surcharge from June 1. The Hong Kong-based airline said it raised the fuel surcharges for a two-month period to US$21.90 (HK$171) for short-haul services in South and NortheEast Asia and (more…)
JAPAN: Kansai Electric Power to start up biomass-coal power plant
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co said it expects to start up a power plant using wood pellets and coal in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture in mid-August. The 900,000-kilowatt plant in western Japan, will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 92,000 tons per year, equal to about two percent of the plant’s...
CHINA: Baoding Yingli moves into polysilicon manufacturing
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — China’s Baoding Yingli said it is exploring the possibility of undertaking a green field project to manufacture polysilicon with 3,000 metric tons annual capacity in Baoding city. Yingli, through one of its affiliates, and several minority equity holders are considering financing the project themselves if it is deemed feasible....
AUSTRALIA: Queensland state to fund project to produce biodiesel from algae
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — The government of Australia’s Queensland state said it will provide $166,000 to help fund a project to develop biodiesel from algae. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the project was a partnership between James Cook University (JCU) and Australian company MBD Biodiesel Ltd. “Considering the current debate about agricultural land...
ABU DHABI: Mubadala Development Company completes Pearl Energy acquisition
(EnergyAsia, June 3, Tuesday) — Abu Dhabi’s investment arm Mubadala Development Company said it is expanding into Southeast Asia’s oil and gas sector after completing the takeover of upstream company Pearl Energy from Aabar Petroleum last month. The transaction is part of Mubadala’s strategy to become an active operator in the international exploration, production...
SAUDI ARABIA: Aramco reports 4.3% decline in crude output as new pro-conservation policy takes shape
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — The decline in Saudi crude production can now be added to the growing list of reasons to explain why oil prices have more than doubled since early last year. Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest state-owned oil company, said its crude output fell by a significant 4.3% to around 3.11...
FILMS: Interviews with Stolt-Nielsen, BDP Project logistics, Siemens AG and LANXESS Pte Ltd
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — EnergyAsia recently interviewed senior executives from Stolt-Nielsen, BDP Project Logistics, Siemens AG and Lanxess. Check out their filmed interviews on www.EnergyAsia.com. For use of these copyright interviews, please contact Admin@EnergyAsia.com. Stolt-Nielsen’s Asia Pacific managing director Andrew Pickering talks about the company’s major expansion of its chemical storage role on (more…)
INDIA: Tata Power plans to diversify into shipping
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — India’s Tata Power is making a US$500 million investment into shipping to try control logistic costs and increase its flexibility in obtaining coal supply for its power plants. A Tata-controlled Singapore-based special purpose vehicle, TPC Energy Asia, is currently preparing to buy or charter nine ships to transport coal...
PEOPLE: Zhou Jiping appointed PetroChina president, takes over from Jiang Jiemin
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — PetroChina Company Ltd said it has promoted executive director Zhou Jiping, 51, to president and vice-chairman. Jiang Jiemin, the former president, retains his post as chairman. Mr Zhou, an upstream veteran with 25 years of experience, has spearheaded the company’s overseas expansion. Zhao Zhengzhang, formerly general manager of PetroChina’s...
PEOPLE: Keppel names Goh as CEO for Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — Goh Chye Boon has been named CEO of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (SSTEC), the joint venture company between Singapore and Chinese consortiums building a sustainable city in the industrial city of Tianjin. His appointment was announced by Keppel Corporation, the leader of the Singapore consortium. Mr Goh was the...
AUSTRALIA: Petronas to pay Santos US$2.508 billion for 40% stake in Gladstone LNG project
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — Following a worldwide tender process, Santos said it has chosen Malaysia’s state energy company, Petronas, one of the world’s largest LNG producers, to be its 40% partner in the development, operation and marketing of the company’s proposed Gladstone LNG (GLNGTM) project. Petronas said it will make an initial cash...
ASIA: Interview with Timothy Phang, managing director of Lubrizol Southeast Asia Pte Ltd
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — This is an extract of the filmed interview with Timothy Phang, managing director of Lubrizol Southeast Asia, on www.EnergyAsia.com. 1. Can you please give us a brief description about Lubrizol and its activities in Asia, and the key countries of its operations. “Lubrizol, headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, US, is (more…)
PEOPLE: Oil and gas academy opens for skills training
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — The UK has launched a training institute to help address the oil and gas industry’s long-term demand for skills in the North Sea and beyond. The dedicated oil and gas academy is the result of the merger of oil and skills body, OPITO, and the Offshore Training Foundation. For...
AUSTRALIA: Ocean Power Technologies, Griffin Energy to jointly develop wave power station
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — Ocean Power Technologies (Australasia) Pty Ltd (OPTA), a subsidiary of Ocean Power Technologies Inc (OPT), and Griffin Wave Power Ltd, a subsidiary of Griffin Energy Pty Ltd, said they have agreed to jointly develop, construct and operate a wave power station off the coast of Western Australia state. Griffin...
AUSTRALIA: Origin Energy says no to BG’s A$13.6 billion takeover proposal
(EnergyAsia, June 2, Monday) — Australia’s Origin Energy Limited said it has rejected an improved takeover offer of A$13.6 billion from UK’s BG Group plc. The latest offer values Origin at A$15.50 per share, up from A$14.70 previously. (US$1=A$1.04). Since receipt of the first proposal on April 29, Origin said it has commissioned advice...