Energy Report

Friday, December 29, 2006

A British nuclear family

A British nuclear family

By Cassell Bryan-Low And Carrick Mollenkamp

The Wall Street Journal Europe

28 Dec 2006



ALDERMASTON, England—A few years ago, Margaret Dadswell, a 78-year-old retired nurse, had to sign Britain’s Official Secrets Act—a measure that makes it illegal to disclose sensitive nationalsecurity information. The reason: Like several people in... read more...

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Gazprom threatens to cut gas to Belarus over price dispute

Gazprom threatens to cut gas to Belarus over price dispute

Carl Schreck Moscow

The Guardian

27 Dec 2006



Talks between Russia and Belarus over new gas prices collapsed yesterday as fears grew of a repeat of last year’s energy cuts in eastern Europe that could leave millions of people out in the cold by January 1. Gazprom, the giant state-owned gas... read more...

Uranium price soars as countries give nuclear power the go-ahead

Uranium price soars as countries give nuclear power the go-ahead

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

27 Dec 2006



The price of uranium has soared on the global market by nearly a quarter in the past three months, but a new report predicts it will rise a further 75% within the next two years. And the boom in demand for the commodity needed to fuel nuclear power... read more...

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Gazprom closes in on Shell and signs $85bn French deals

Gazprom closes in on Shell and signs $85bn French deals

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

20 Dec 2006



Gazprom extended its grip on the European gas market yesterday after it said it expected to sign a contract to take control of Shell’s Sakhalin-2 project within 48 hours. It also agreed a huge contract to supply gas to France for the next 24 years and... read more...

Warming seas drive shoreline species north

Warming seas drive shoreline species north

Alok Jha Science correspondent

The Guardian

20 Dec 2006



Climate change has forced seashore creatures around Britain to relocate, with warming seas pushing many species of barnacles, snails and limpets north in search of cooler areas of coast, according to a new study. “Climate change is having a big impact... read more...

Statoil, NorskHydro create giant

Statoil, NorskHydro create giant

By Elizabeth Cowley, Michael Wang and Chip Cummins

The Wall Street Journal Europe

19 Dec 2006



Statoil ASA’s $30 billion share swap for Norsk Hydro ASA’s petroleum business makes the government of tiny but oil-rich Norway the majority owner of a bulked-up and acquisitive player in the global oil industry. The deal, which the two companies... read more...

Candidate for BP top job attacks management


Candidate for BP top job attacks management

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

19 Dec 2006



The man tipped by many to become the new chief executive of BP on the retirement of Lord Browne has attacked the leadership style of Britain’s biggest company. Tony Hayward, the head of exploration and production, told staff in America, where BP’s... read more...

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Oil Trust for Iraq

Oil Trust for Iraq

By Hillary Rodham Clinton And John Ensign

The Wall Street Journal Europe

18 Dec 2006



Every day, American troops in Iraq continue to sacrifice while serving bravely and magnificently under deteriorating circumstances. And every day, the Iraqi people are paying an enormous price for the future of that country as well—a future that, by... read more...

Friday, December 15, 2006

OPEC plans to lower output 1.9%

OPEC plans to lower output 1.9%

By Bhushan Bahree

The Wall Street Journal Europe

15 Dec 2006



ABUJA, Nigeria—In a strong signal that it will try to prevent oil prices from sliding further, OPEC said it plans to slice its output by an additional 1.9% starting Feb. 1. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries also accepted Angola, whose... read more...

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Darker days ahead as residents are cut free in town that Gazprom built

Darker days ahead as residents are cut free in town that Gazprom built

Mark Rice-Oxley Novy Urengoi

The Guardian

14 Dec 2006



In the frigid emptiness of northern Siberia, where the winter dusk descends soon after lunch and darkness lingers until after breakfast, there's an old vodka toast that locals raise to take the edge off the Arctic chill: “ Za nas, za vas i za gas” — to... read more...

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Kremlin nears energy boost

Kremlin nears energy boost

By Guy Chazan in Moscow and Chip Cummins in London

The Wall Street Journal Europe

12 Dec 2006



The Russian government may be close to a victory in a long-running dispute with Royal Dutch Shell PLC over a $20 billion landmark energy project, a development that would bolster Kremlin control of the nation’s vast oil and natural-gas reserves in a... read more...

$20bn gas project seized by Russia


$20bn gas project seized by Russia

Terry Macalister Tom Parfitt Moscow

The Guardian

12 Dec 2006



Shell is being forced by the Russian government to hand over its controlling stake in the world’s biggest liquefied gas project, provoking fresh fears about the Kremlin’s willingness to use the country’s growing strength in natural resources as a... read more...

Friday, December 08, 2006

BP disaster site ‘held together with band aids’

BP disaster site ‘held together with band aids’

Andrew Clark New York and Terry Macalister

The Guardian

08 Dec 2006



The director of BP’s Texas City oil refinery, which exploded last year killing 15 people, has told victims’ lawyers that the site was held together by “band aids” and “super glue” in the years running up to the disaster. Newly disclosed materials shed... read more...

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Global alternative-energy push fuels trouble in Southeast Asia

Global alternative-energy push fuels trouble in Southeast Asia

By Patrick Barta in Pontianak, Indonesia, and Jane Spencer in Hong Kong

The Wall Street Journal Europe

05 Dec 2006



INVESTORS ARE POURING billions of dollars into “renewable” energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel and solar power that promise to reduce the world’s reliance on petroleum. But exploiting these alternatives may produce unintended environmental and... read more...