(EnergyAsia, November 21 2011, Monday) — Thanks to the restructuring of its oil exports including improved taxation, Russia has achieved a “sustainable role” as a global oil power, according to US-based consultant ESAI Energy. In a new multi-client study entitled “Russia Comes of Age: Restructured Exports Strengthen Russia’s Hand in Oil Markets,” ESAI said changes...

(EnergyAsia, November 21 2011, Monday) — The US Clean Air Council (CAC) has asked the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to intervene as a result of the failure of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PA DEP) to properly regulate fracking and gas processing pollution that contributes to climate change. Clean Air Council, a non-profit environmental...

(EnergyAsia, November 18 2011, Friday) — The supply of natural gas from shale and unconventional sources, on which the world is relying to meet its future energy demand, now faces new concerns that the controversial fracturing method of production may have caused localised earthquakes in the UK and the US. Cuadrilla Resources, a British company...

(EnergyAsia, November 17 2011, Thursday) — Singapore is looking to launch an electricity futures market for industry players to hedge their pricing risks and open up new business opportunities for financial firms and traders, said the head of the city-state’s energy regulator. “We see an electricity futures market having the potential to enhance our energy...

(EnergyAsia, November 16 2011, Wednesday) — Equatorial Guinea expects Dutch oil and chemical logistics giant Royal Vopak to start building an oil storage terminal in the second half of next year and to complete it a year later. The government of the West African country has awarded Vopak the contract to build and operate the...

(EnergyAsia, November 16 2011, Wednesday) — After months of speculation, Caltex Australia Ltd, half owned by Chevron, said it will close one of two gasoline refining units at its Kurnell facility in Sydney. Australia’s largest downstream oil company joins its domestic rivals in throwing in the towel, citing the impact of the strong local currency,...

(EnergyAsia, November 16 2011, Wednesday) — China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) said it has imported a total of 16.88 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas from three Central Asian countries through a 2,000-km pipeline since its start-up at the end of 2009. The west-to-east pipeline draws natural gas from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before...

(EnergyAsia, November 16 2011, Wednesday) — Hydrocarbon-rich Turkmenistan is aiming to expand its network of gas pipelines to increase exports to countries in Europe and Asia. At an energy conference last week, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov described natural-gas exports to Europe as the “most important” objective of the country’s foreign policy as it races to compete...

(EnergyAsia, November 15 2011, Tuesday) — Singapore is considering importing electricity as a further measure to diversify its energy mix and enhance supply security. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will soon begin consulting private companies and relevant stakeholders on the regulatory framework and other issues related to importing electricity from neighbouring countries, said S. Iswaran,...

(EnergyAsia, November 15 2011, Tuesday) — Even though oil and gas is the most traded product in the Asia-Pacific region, there is virtually no energy trade across the Pacific. A new report recently released by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) suggests that this anomaly could be corrected in the foreseeable future. Yuen Pau Woo,...

(EnergyAsia, November 15 2011, Tuesday) — Australia’s Cougar Energy Limited has begun legal proceedings against the Queensland state government and three of its officials seeking more than A$34 million in compensation over their decision to halt the company’s development of a power plant project. The company said it is suing the previous Department of Environment...

  (EnergyAsia, November 14 2011, Monday) — China should increase imports of piped natural gas from Central Asia, primarily Turkmenistan, to meet near-term demand as an alternative to costly liquefied natural gas (LNG), said energy consultant Wood Mackenzie. The firm’s China Gas Service said the country’s delays in implementing structural gas price reforms have weakened...

(EnergyAsia, November 14 2011, Monday) — Blaming BP Plc for not clearing anti-trust regulatory approvals, Bridas Corp has cancelled its proposed deal to acquire the UK major’s 60% stake in Argentine crude producer Pan American Energy LLC for US$7.06 billion. Bridas Corp, which will retain its 40% stake in PAE, also cited an order by...

(EnergyAsia, November 14 2011, Monday) — The Indonesian government said it plans to build at least two coal-fired power plants on Batam Island with the intention to sell the bulk of their output to nearby Singapore, located just 15 km away. Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Widjajono Partowidagdo said at least three quarters of...

(EnergyAsia, November 14 2011, Monday) — The New Zealand government has charged the CEO of Pike Coal River for failing to prevent a blast at its mine last year which killed 29 workers in the country’s worst industrial accident in almost a century. Last week, the Department of Labour tabled 12 charges against Peter Whittall...

(EnergyAsia, November 11 2011, Friday) — The world’s largest private coal miner, Peabody Energy of the US, said it will complete its proposed A$4.73 billion takeover of Australia’s Macarthur Coal on its own following the withdrawal of European partner ArcelorMittal. (US$1=A$0.97). Arcelor had announced it would sell its 40% interest in their brief joint venture,...

(EnergyAsia, November 11 2011, Friday) — Continued coal use could boost the world’s carbon dioxide emissions by 43% between 2010 and 2035, said the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The cartel expects commercial primary energy demand to rise 51% over that period with fossil fuels making up 82% of the energy mix. Contributing 29%...

(EnergyAsia, November 11 2011, Friday) — China has begun imposing a new resource tax of 8 to 20 yuan a tonne on domestic coking coal from November 1 while maintaining the same 0.3 to five yuan per tonne rate on the other grades. According to a revised draft regulation issued by the ruling State Council,...

(EnergyAsia, November 11 2011, Friday) — The following is an edited extract from the International Energy Agency’s recently released World Energy Outlook 2011. “Coal has met almost half of the increase in global energy demand over the last decade. Whether this trend alters and how quickly is among the most important questions for the future...

(EnergyAsia, November 10 2011, Thursday) — Trafigura, a leading European commodity trader, said it and Origo Partners Plc, a private equity investor in Mongolian natural resources, have formed an equal joint venture to develop the country’s coal and iron ore deposits for export. Trafigura-Origo MGL will leverage off Origo’s transactional, geological and technical expertise in...

(EnergyAsia, November 10 2011, Thursday) — Australia’s BHP Billiton Ltd and Indonesia’s Adaro will soon begin jointly developing a coal mine as part of their US$1.34 billion Indomet project in Kalimantan on the Indonesian island of Borneo. The Haju coal mine, located 220km northwest of Balikpapan port, is slated to start up with an annual...

  (EnergyAsia, November 9 2011, Wednesday) — Three Philippine banks have agreed to lend South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp nine billion peso to develop a coal-fired 135MW power plant in Batangas on Luzon Island in the Philippines. (US$1=43 peso). South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp, jointly operated and managed by Ayala-led AC Energy Holdings Inc and...

(EnergyAsia, November 8 2011, Tuesday) — Hong Kong-listed Winsway Coking Coal Holdings Limited said it recently secured a 10-year strategic alliance agreement to obtain supply of high-quality coal from Mongolyn Alt (MAK) from next year Winsway said MAK or its designated companies from Mongolia will supply three million tonnes of high-quality coal a year with scope...

(EnergyAsia, November 4 2011, Friday) — India’s twin power and coal supply crises show no signs of letting up as the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has reported that 33 of the country’s power plants are now operating with less than four days of coal stockpile. The report flies in the face of the Coal Ministry’s...

(EnergyAsia, November 4 2011, Friday) — Canada’s Grande Cache Coal said it has accepted a joint all-cash C$1 billion takeover offer from Hong Kong-listed Winsway Coking Coal and Japanese trader Marubeni Corp. (US$1=C$1). Their newly established 60/40 joint venture has agreed to pay C$10 for each Grande Cache share for a 70% premium to its...