(EnergyAsia, March 15 2011, Tuesday) — The unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan is the worst since Russia’s Chernobyl, said Washington DC-based environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE). There have been two explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in northern Japan since an 8.9-richter scale earthquake struck off the coast last Friday, triggering tsunamis, (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — Singapore is Asia’s greenest metropolis thanks to its ambitious environmental targets and its efficient approach to achieving them, according to a study commissioned by Siemens AG and performed by the independent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Singapore was the only city to be rated ‘well above average’ in the five-rating (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — Brushing aside profitability concerns and controversy over the use of food palm oil for making fuel, Finland’s Neste Oil Corporation officially launched its 800,000-metric-tonne renewable diesel plant in Tuas at the industrial south-western part of Singapore last week. The company said the 550-million-euro plant had started up last November (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — Several US nuclear experts have commented on the rapidly evolving reactor crisis in Japan following last Friday’s (March 11) deadly earthquake which struck off the northern island of Honshu. More than 1,600 people have been confirmed dead, and at least another 10,000 are reported missing after the 8.9-richter quake (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — Thanks to strong growth in its China operations, German industrial gas and engineering company Linde AG has reported a 22.6% rise in operating profits to 2.925 billion euro for 2010. Its revenue was up 14.8% to a record 12.868 billion euro. Its after-tax earnings increased 62.9% to 1.064 billion (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — Asia-based clean petroleum products trader OiLive has begun using AspectCTRM, the Web-delivered trading and risk management solution from Aspect Enterprise Solutions (AES). Focusing on the Asian markets, OiLive’s Singapore office trades in naphtha, gasoil, condensate, additives and chemicals and works closely with regional partners including refining companies. The contract (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 14 2011, Monday) — The South Korean government is considering tapping into its 87.2 million barrels in crude oil stockpile to avert a domestic supply crunch and price spikes amid the political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa. The planned move will mirror the government’s actions during the previous supply crises...
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — Even affluent, tightly controlled Qatar may be at risk of being hit by the tide of political and economic change sweeping across the Arab world. Ruled by a benign monarch and sitting on top the world’s third largest natural gas reserves, Qatar has long been perceived as a safe...
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — US coal exports are expected to reach their highest level in 15 years to satisfy Asian demand following the loss of supplies from Australia’s Queensland state which had been recently hit by devastating floods for several months. Queensland is one of the world’s main coal producers. US coal exports...
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — Greenpeace has commended Singapore-based Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) for pledging not to clear Indonesia’s rainforests for palm oil cultivation. The environmental watchdog has also renewed its call for the Indonesian government to support this initiative through tighter control of forest and peatland licensing. GAR, the world’s second largest palm oil...
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — Germany’s Siemens AG said it will invest “hundreds of millions of US dollars” to build a manufacturing and service facility in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern province. The investment decision was announced in Saudi Arabia following a recent meeting between senior executives of Siemens and state-owned national oil company, Saudi Aramco....
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — Shell Global Solutions International BV and Shanghai-based Wison Engineering Ltd have started jointly developing a low-cost ‘hybrid’ gasification demonstration plant in China. They are also collaborating on the technology’s design and marketing, and the development of other coal gas technologies. Shell said the hybrid technology, known as ‘dry-feed, bottom-water (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 11 2011, Friday) — For 2011, the petrochemical industry faces the threats of rising oil prices and global economic uncertainties, according to the Petrochemical Profitability Forecast prepared by energy solutions consultants Nexant Inc. The report said that while petrochemical profitability improved considerably last year, the outlook for the sector depends on many factors (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Swiber Holdings Limited, a Singapore-based provider of construction and support services to the offshore oil and gas industry, has reported a 19.4% increase in revenue to US$469.7 million for the year ended December 31 2010. It said net profit “held steady” at US$39.4 million in FY2010 despite higher expenses...
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Coal would be one of the most expensive sources of electricity if hidden safety, environmental and health costs related to its production and use are included in its final sale price, a US study has found. Costs related to health problems in mining communities and pollution around power plants...
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Singapore-based Tuas Power is seeking to wrap up morelong-term coal supply deals with Indonesian miners. From next year, Jakarta-listed PT Bayan Resources will supply TP’s Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex with 13.36 million tonnes of low-sulphur, low-ash sub-bituminous coal for 15 years. Tuas Power, owned by China Huaneng, will take delivery...
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Philippines-listed Century Peak Metals Holdings Corp and state-owned China Coal Geology Engineering Corp are planning to form a joint venture to explore coal and other mineral resources in the Philippines. The partners will provide equipment and experienced geologists to the joint venture to enable it to secure exploration and...
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Three anti-pollution groups have filed a federal lawsuit aimed at cleaning up air pollution from the Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) coal-fired power plant located between Austin and Houston. The lawsuit filed this week by the Environmental Integrity Project, Texas Campaign for the Environment, and Environment Texas claims the (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 10 2011, Thursday) — Canada’s CBM Asia Development Corp (CBM Asia) said its partner, MedcoEnergi, has reported mobilising a workover rig to a well at the Sekayu coalbed methane exploration project in South Sumatra in Indonesia. Medco plans to install a downhole pump and zone isolation packer to dewater the Palembang B & (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — Responding to rising regional coal demand, Indonesian miner PT Adaro Energy Tbk said it plans to raise production to between 46 and 48 million tons this year, compared with 42.20 million tons last year. In a disclosure to Indonesia Stock Exchange in February, the country’s biggest coal miner said...
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — Malaysia’s power company, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, is scrambling to look for alternative suppliers of coal, due to an expected global production shortfall caused by the recent flooding in Australia’s Queensland state. As an interim solution, Tenaga has turned to buying spot cargoes from South Africa and has begun talks...
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — Mongolia is proceeding to privatisate state-owned Erdenes-Tavan Tolgoi Co which controls the world’s largest coking coal deposit with the appointment of four international banks to manage its initial public offering. Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Deutsche Bank AG, BNP Paribas SA and Macquarie Group Ltd will manage the planned listing,...
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — The Canadian government is expected to approve PetroChina Co Ltd’s proposed C$5.4 billion acquisition of a 50% stake in Encana Corp’s Cutbank Ridge assets in the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. (US$1.00=C$0.98). The assets include 1.3 million acres of land, approximately 700-million-cubic-feet-per-day processing capacity, 3,400 km...
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — Canadian mining firm Prophecy Resource Corp has announced several senior appointments. Paul F. Venter, a director since last August, is Vice President for Energy Operations with responsibility for Mongolia mining and power operations. With over 30 years experience with BHP and Eskom in the mining, power generating, and transport (more…)
(EnergyAsia, March 9 2011, Wednesday) — US-based Alpha Natural Resources Inc said it plans to establish an international sales and development office each in Sydney, Australia and in New Delhi, India by mid-2011. Brian D. Sullivan, most recently senior vice president and general counsel for the United Company in Bristol, Virginia will lead the Australian...