storage tanks each of 10 million liters of capacity at its distribution depot in Messaimer. The 60-million-riyal project includes loading pumps and support facilities. (US$1=3.64 rial). WOQOD’s vice-chairman and managing director, Mohammed Turki Al Sobai, said: “This investment is further evidence of WOQOD’s intent to invest in major capital projects to ensure that facilities are...
SINGAPORE: EnergyAsia interviews Energy Market Authority on development of the LNG industry
(EMA), announced it had awarded the UK-based natural gas company BG Group the role of exclusive supplier and demand aggregator of liquefied natural gas (LNG). EnergyAsia submitted a number of questions to the EMA on a range of issues facing Singapore’s entry into the LNG business. 1. Safety and security concerns. As LNG is...
SINGAPORE: Pump prices up sharply again
price increases for gasoline and diesel. Shell led the latest round of increases last Friday, a day after world crude futures set yet another record price of more than US$135 a barrel. Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC) said it raised its gasoline price by S$0.05 a litre while diesel was up by S$0.07 a litre. (US$1=S$1.35)....
AUSTRALIA: ‘Gas, LNG and Transportation Contracts & Gas/LNG Pricing’ in Perth from June 16 to 20
(EnergyAsia, May 26, Monday) — ‘Gas, LNG and Transportation Contracts & Gas/LNG Pricing’ will be held at the Mercure Hotel in Perth, Australia from June 16 to 20. As the gas price, and sales and purchase contract conditions largely determine the value and risks in transactions, understanding how these instruments define risk allocation and is (more…)
BOOK: ‘Profiting from Clean Energy’ provides a comprehensive investment guide
(EnergyAsia, May 26, Monday) — ‘Profiting from Clean Energy’, a book by professional investment analyst and advisor Richard W. Asplund, explains and discusses ways to invest in clean energy. It provides an in-depth explanation of the technology and industry structures, and identifies more than 150 stocks related to clean energy. Topics include clean energy investments (more…)
INDONESIA: Fuel prices raised by 25% to 33%
social unrest following last Friday’s decision to raise domestic fuel prices by a up to a third. Already reeling from high inflation and runaway food prices, households, small businesses and worker groups across the country have been stepping up their campaign in recent weeks to stop the fuel price rise. In announcing the long-awaited increases,...
MARKETS: US Congress stops DOE adding 13 million barrels of oil to stockpile
succeeded in stopping the Bush administration from adding another 13 million barrels to the nation’s crude oil stockpile. Critics said stockbuilding by the Department of Energy and other government agencies around the world is unnecessarily adding strength to an already out-of-control oil market. Congress passed legislation in mid-month ordering the DOE to suspend its stockbuilding...
PAKISTAN: Fuel retailers hoarding gasoline and diesel in anticipation of further price hikes
(EnergyAsia, May 26, Monday) — Fuel retailers and small business owners in Pakistan’s major cities have begun hoarding fuel in storage facilities in anticipation of more price increases. In Rawalpinidi, fuel retailers have increased their regular orders by up to three times the normal 8,000 to 10,000 litres every other day. The fuel is...
MARKETS: Major developments set stage for “alarmingly high oil prices”
(EnergyAsia, May 26, Monday) — Front-month WTI crude’s surge past $135 a barrel on May 21 has set off three major new developments that are “unequivocally bullish” for the oil markets, said analyst Antoine Halff of Newedge Group. On the fundamentals front, he said the latest US oil statistics showed crude stocks unexpectedly drew...
CHINA: Government orders stockpiled fuel released to quake zone
(EnergyAsia, May 26, Monday) — China last week began releasing oil products from its state reserve stockpiles to areas struck by a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake on May 12, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The quake killed more than 50,000 people and inflicted damages worth more than US$10 billion. Leading oil company...
BOOK: Lloyd’s List released ‘Ports of the World 2008’
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — Lloyd’s List has released ‘Ports of the World 2008’ which features 100 full page maps of the top 100 ports and harbours and lists over 2800 of the world’s most commercially active ports. Published in three A4-sized volumes, the directory presents essential details of over 19,000 port facilities and services. (more…)
AUSTRALIA: ‘Coaltrans Australia’ to be held in Brisbane from July 28 to 29
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — The fouth annual ‘Coaltrans Australia’, co-hosted with the ‘AusCoal Investment Forum’, will be held in Brisbane from July 28 to 29. Coaltrans returns to the world’s largest coal exporting nation to explore Australia’s capacity to respond to the booming demand for coal in the Pacific market. Topics covered include Australian (more…)
US: President Bush defends corn-based ethanol
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — As world outrage grows over food price inflation and the use of crop-based fuel, US President George W. Bush is insisting his country needs corn-based ethanol to beef up its energy security. In a recent speech, he said his fuel ethanol policies are critical to helping the US overcome its...
PEOPLE: Survey finds lack of skilled people the biggest challenge to oil and gas industry
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — A lack of skilled people is the biggest recruitment difficulty facing a number of oil and gas companies, according to a survey conducted by Aberdeen-based specialist LA Recruitment. LA Recruitment, which specialises in engineering, commercial, marine and technical positions, surveyed 100 companies at the recent Offshore Technology Conference in Houston,...
PEOPLE: Ray Yeoh to develop AFC Energy plc’s Asian market strategy
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — Clean electricity generator AFC Energy plc said it has appointed Ray Yeoh as international sales consultant. As a veteran of the chlorine industry in Asia, Mr Yeoh will be responsible for identifying opportunities for AFC Energy to supply its fuel cells to hydrogen producers. Mr Yeoh, who will report to...
MIDDLE EAST: IMF predicts sustained economic growth, need to contain inflation
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia economies remains favourable in 2008, with commodity prices, including oil, expected to remain high. In its latest ‘Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia’ report, Mohsin Khan, director of the IMF’s Middle East and...
MARKETS: Declining dollar, high oil prices pose new threat to US economy
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — A non-profit organisation, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), has released a study describing a new threat to the American economy: the confluence of high oil prices, an increasing trade deficit, and a sinking dollar. “A Different Type of Price Spike,” said the more oil the US imports, the more dollars...
MARKETS: World Shipping Council says record fuel prices hurting ocean shipping
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) —The World Shipping Council Shipping (WSC) has taken the unusual step of raising the red flag on record crude oil and bunker fuel prices as ocean-going vessels worldwide struggle under the weight of rising crude oil and bunker fuel prices. This week, crude oil prices surged to yet another record high...
AUSTRALIA: Woodside criticised Canberra’s new excise on North West Shelf condensate
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — Australia’s upstream company Woodside has criticised Canberra’s decision to impose an excise on condensate produced from the North West Shelf Venture operated by the company. Woodside CEO Don Voelte said the decision to introduce a condensate excise was made without any consultation with the company. He said the relief from...
AUSTRALIA: AGL, Wind Prospect to jointly develop fourth wind farm
(EnergyAsia, May 23, Friday) — Australia’s AGL Energy Limited (AGL) said it has agreed with Wind Prospect Pty Ltd to acquire the rights to develop and construct a fourth wind farm in the mid-north of South Australia state. The Hallett 4 wind farm development, located at North Brown Hill, is approximately 23km from the township...
MALAYSIA: Sarawak to build up 8,000 MW of hydropower capacity
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) — Malaysia’s eastern Sarawak state plans to develop 8,000 megawatt (MW) of hydro power capacity by 2030 to supply the country’s growing power demand. Under a heads of agreement between Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), SEB would supply the first 3,000 MW of electricity to TNB from...
PHILIPPINES: Oil depot closures could spark fuel crisis in Mindanao
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) —The Philippines’ central Mindanao region is facing a potential fuel supply crisis with the planned closures of major oil depots in General Santos city. Chevron, Shell and Petron are due to close oil storage facilities there by the end of the year as a consequence of rezoning the city’s Bula area...
SINGAPORE: Federal purchases US$7 million vessel for chartering business
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) — Federal International (2000) Ltd, a Singapore-listed engineering and procurement specialist for the energy and infrastructure industries, said it has signed an agreement for the construction of a US$7 million chartering vessel. The vessel to be purchased by Federal’s 60%-owned subsidiary, Federal Offshore Service Pte Ltd (FOS) is a twin-screw anchor...
SINGAPORE: Swiber’s Q1 earnings soars 184% to US$10.4 million
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) — Swiber Holdings Limited, a Singapore-listed service services provider to the offshore oil and gas industry, said its first quarter net profit soared 184% to a record US$10.4 million amidst continued demand for offshore oil and gas services in the region. For the quarter ended March 31, it posted revenue of...
UZBEKISTAN: Malaysia’s Petronas signs oil and gas agreements
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) — Malaysian state oil and gas company Petronas said it has signed a production sharing agreement (PSA) for a group of fields and a heads of agreement (HOA) for a gas-to-liquid (GTL) project in Uzbekistan. The PSA was signed by wholly-owned subsidiary Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd (PCOSB) with the government...