EnergyAsia, June 10 2011, Friday) — A consortium comprising Indonesian coal miner Adaro Energy and Japan’s Electric Power Development Co (J-Power) and Itochu Corp has been awarded a landmark tender to develop a 2,000MW coal-fired power plant in Java, said Indonesian state power firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). The US$3.2 billion project is the first...

(EnergyAsia, June 10 2011, Friday) — PHI Energy Corporation (PEC), a subsidiary of US-listed PHI Group Inc, has completed the purchase of coal assets from PT Dian Anugrah Pratama (DAP), a Jakarta, Indonesia-based corporation. The deal was announced by PEC’s parent, PHI Group Inc, which is engaged in M&A advisory services, real estate development, mining,...

(EnergyAsia, June 10 2011, Friday) — A consortium comprising Japanese trading house Itochu Corp and South Korea’s SK Engineering & Construction Co Ltd has secured an 80 billion-yen engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from the Turkish power generating company, Enerjisa Enerji Uretim AS, to build a coal-fired power plant in southeastern Turkey. (US$1=80 yen)....

(EnergyAsia, June 10 2011, Friday) — The following is an edited version of a press release by US energy media Platts. Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ministers spectacularly failed to reach an agreement on a crude output increase Wednesday (June 9) in what Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali Naimi described as “one of the...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — Dutch oil and chemical logistics firm Royal Vopak said it and Malaysian engineering company Dialog Group Berhad have agreed to jointly build and operate a bulk liquid storage terminal in Pengerang in the southern Malaysian state of Johor following the favourable outcome of a joint feasibility study announced in...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — China and Iran will set up a joint committee to explore and implement joint oil and gas projects, said the Islamic regime’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Shamseddin Hosseini. The committee’s formation was provided under a memorandum of understanding on trade and economic cooperation agreed by the two...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — Thanks to reforms undertaken in 2007 by the Indonesian government, investors have been drawn to develop several rail and port projects to support coal production and logistics in the country. The infrastructure investments will also boost economic development in Indonesia, the world’s second-biggest exporter of coal. Bukit Asam Transpacific...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — The Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) has said it supports the government’s recent move to freeze the issuance of new mining permits. APBI executive director Supriatna Suhala said the moratorium is needed to sort out the increasingly complex and troubling issue of overlapping claims of mining acreages by permit...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — Australia’s Environmental Clean Technologies (ECT) Limited said it has terminated an agreement with Vietnam’s Tincom to jointly develop a two-million-tonne per year Coldry coal plant in Latrobe Valley in Victoria state. The companies had agreed to also eventually expand the plant’s capacity to 20 million tonnes per yearIn a...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Thursday) — Australia’s Riversdale Mining said it has secured agreement to supply European energy trader Trafigura more than US$200 million worth of thermal coal produced from the Benga coal mine in Tete in Mozambique. Riversdale, which did not disclose the quantity of the sale, said the take-or-pay agreement covers all thermal...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — The Premier of Australia’s leading mining state has slammed said calls by the Green Party to ban new coal mines as unrealistic that could jeopardise the nation’s economy. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has urged Prime Minister Julia Gillard not to heed the Greens’ proposal, saying it would cost thousands...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — China’s Yanzhou Coal Mining plans to list at least 30% of its Australian subsidiary by year-end to raise over US$1 billion. Yanzhou, which acquired Felix Resources for US$3.1 billion last October and renamed it Yancoal Australia, must publicly offer at least 30% of the company by end-2012 as one...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — Brazilian mining giant Vale may soon approve over A$2 billion in investments in coal projects in Australia’s Queensland state. Decio Amaral, the group’s global managing director of coal, said he is optimistic of receiving head office approval for the proposed investments. The Brazilian miner has been making extensive exploration...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — The global shortage of skilled and experienced workers, often blamed for near misses and accidents in the workplace, is threatening to slow down oil exploration and production activities. As companies race to meet deadlines and constrained budgets, they reduce safety, environmental and health measures, increasing the risk of accidents...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — Vietnam is gradually reducing its coal exports as it has to meet rising demand from domestic consumers, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The ministry’s energy and petroleum department expects the country’s coal exports to decline to 22 million metric tons this year from 32.2 million in...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2011, Wednesday) — Ample supplies, robust emerging markets, uncertainty about nuclear power and demand for clean energy all point to a prominent role for gas in the future global energy mix, said the International Energy Agency. In a special report as part of part of its World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2011 series,...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — China is importing lower-grade coal from Australia and South Africa in response to rising prices on the domestic markets, said trade participants. Chinese buyers are expected to import up to two million tons in Australian low-grade coal in the summer months. The bulk of the imports are expected to...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — The Australian Coal Association has set aside A$5 million for a nationwide campaign to advertise its opposition to the government’s proposed carbon tax. (US$1=A$0.93). The association has started to tap the television, radio, print and online media to present its case against the tax for destroying jobs, raising business...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — Australia may face power shortages in five years if the government succeeds in implementing its proposed carbon tax policy and deters investments in the power sector, electricity supplier TRUenergy Holdings Pty has warned. The industry may not be able to attract investments after the first three years if the...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — The damage wrought by the March 11 earthquake in Japan is inflicting damage that is larger and longer lasting than initially thought by most analysts and business people. The Bank of Japan has sharply downgraded its forecast for the country’s economic growth for fiscal 2011 by a full percentage...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — Two of the world’s top three thermal coal exporters will be Indonesian companies by 2015, said energy consultant Wood Mackenzie’s lead analyst for Southeast and Northeast Asia, Rudi Vann. Their production and new domestic investments will enable Indonesia to account for the largest share of thermal coal growth for...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2011, Tuesday) — Thailand’s largest coal miner, Banpu, is looking to increase the annual production capacity of its Australian unit Centennial Coal to 19.6 million tonnes from around 16 million tonnes now, said chief financial officer Somruedee Chaimongkol. Banpu will invest A$589 million between 2011 and 2015 to develop four new mines...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2011, Monday) — Shell Marine Products, a unit of the Anglo-Dutch major, said it has begun supplying marine fuels at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, UAE. The launch of bunker operations at Jebel Ali, the largest container port in the Middle East, further reinforces the company’s growth strategy by extending its network...

(EnergyAsia, June 6 2011, Monday) — Singapore -listed Mirach Energy Limited said its revenue rose 721% to more than US$1.8 million for the first quarter of this year, boosted by the start-up of its coal mining operations and improved performance of its enhanced oil recovery (EOR) oilfield services. Its net loss attributable to shareholders was...

(EnergyAsia, June 6 2011, Monday) — Desperation appears to be creeping in among consumer nations as oil prices hold stubbornly around US$100 a barrel, barely acknowledging the bearish impact of recession and killing off hopes for even a fragile global economic recovery. If NATO’s invasion of Libya was motivated by its light, low-sulphur oil, the...