Energy Report

2007-09-17T12:27:00.001+01:00

Kazakh energy plan seen aimed at Kashagan
By Kadyr Toktogulov And Liam Moloney —Jeffrey Sparshott, Spencer Swartz and Benoît Faucon contributed to this article.
The Wall Street Journal Europe
17 Sep 2007

ALMATY, Kazakhstan—A proposed law that would allow the Kazakh government to annul naturalresources contracts appears aimed at pressuring Kashagan oil developers led by the Eni SpA amid tense negotiations, rather than as a broadbased threat to energy... read more...

Moscow f loats a novel program to sell offshore nuclear reactors (The Wall Street Journal Europe, 21 Aug 2007, Page 1)

2007-08-21T12:59:00.001+01:00

Moscow f loats a novel program to sell offshore nuclear reactors
By Tom Wright in Jakarta and Gregory L. White in Moscow
The Wall Street Journal Europe
21 Aug 2007

IN AN INDUSTRIAL PARK in northern Jakarta, traders hawk electronics and pirated DVDs. From a steel-grated storefront here, Alexander Chilikov is trying to sell a floating nuclear-power plant. “There’s 100% no risk,” says Mr. Chilikov, a 44-year-old... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

2007-07-30T16:22:00.001+01:00

Biofuel dilemmas

Bangkok Post
29 Jul 2007

Benzene or gasohol? That is the question. Thailand’s Ministry of Energy is pursing a policy to promote the use of alternative fuels, be they gasohol, biodiesel or natural gas. Gasohol has been introduced at most petrol stations, yet people are still... read more...

Tech Tags: Bangkok Post newspaper Society

2007-07-16T12:09:00.001+01:00

Indexes boosted by oil price surge
MATTHEW ROBINSON AND BARANI KRISHNAN
Calgary Herald
13 Jul 2007

REUTERS NEW YORK Major commodities indexes are posting big returns for investors, after mixed results in 2006, as a rise in prices of oil and other raw materials overcomes losses tied to the shape of the futures curve. The indexes, a favourite... read more...

Tech Tags: Calgary Herald newspaper Calgary Business

2007-07-10T19:30:00.001+01:00

Beware of energy nationalism, warns global agency
Terry Macalister
The Guardian
10 Jul 2007

A growing trend towards nationalism over resources in Russia and even Britain could backfire by cutting expenditure on oil and gas worldwide at a time when demand is likely to rise faster than expected over the next five years, the International Energy... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

2007-07-02T13:51:00.001+01:00

EU energy users could save £40bn a year as markets open up
David Gow Brussels
The Guardian
02 Jul 2007

Industry and households throughout Europe could save £40bn a year after the EU’s domestic energy supply market was yesterday opened for full-scale competition. The move promises to help put an end to distortions that cost UK consumers £10bn last... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

2007-06-18T14:04:00.001+01:00

Gazprom faces asset sale under EU’s energy plan

The Wall Street Journal Europe
18 Jun 2007

ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLINN, Estonia—The European Union’s antitrust chief on Friday said Russian natural-gas monopoly OAO Gazprom would have to sell its distribution assets in Eastern Europe if a plan to overhaul the energy industry is approved. Under... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

2007-06-05T15:22:00.001+01:00

Massacres and paramilitary land seizures are behind the biofuel revolution
Oliver Balch Mutat Rory Carroll Cartagena
The Guardian
05 Jun 2007

Armed groups in Colombia are driving peasants off their land to make way for plantations of palm oil, a biofuel that is being promoted as an environmentally friendly source of energy. Surging demand for “green” fuel has prompted rightwing... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper International

2007-05-25T11:23:00.001+01:00

Petrol to hit £1 a litre within weeks as oil supply strains show
Larry Elliott Economics editor
The Guardian
25 May 2007

Petrol prices were on course last night to break the pound-a-litre barrier after the cost of crude oil on global markets rose to its highest level this year. With the US navy putting on a show of strength off the Iranian coast and oil workers in... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

2007-05-23T17:51:00.001+01:00

WARMING UP TO NUCLEAR POWER

The Sunday Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
20 May 2007

Craig Pridemore was a University of Washington student when he started his career influencing public policy. He and his friends made a road trip to Richland in the early 1980s to protest planned construction of five nuclear-power plants. Now, the... read more...

Tech Tags: The Sunday Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper Opinion

2007-05-16T16:00:00.001+01:00

How to save energy at home

The Daily Telegraph
15 May 2007

INSULATION In Scandinavia they’re far better at insulating buildings than we are in the UK. Insulation makes an enormous difference to the cost of heating and should be top of your list of energysaving measures. If you live in a flat, it’s worth... read more...

Tech Tags: The Daily Telegraph newspaper Features Special

2007-05-10T02:19:00.000+01:00

China and India to lead in clean energy projects

Gulf News
10 May 2007

China and India will become the most attractive countries for investment in renewable energy projects by 2012, Ernst & Young said in a report yesterday. In its quarterly Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness rankings, the accounting firm said the... read more...

Tech Tags: Gulf News newspaper INTERNATIONAL

2007-04-19T14:13:00.001+01:00

G7 ministers back nuclear energy

Bangkok Post
16 Apr 2007

Washington — Finance chiefs from the G7 industrialised countries have endorsed nuclear energy, an increasingly attractive option as governments confront global warming and dependence on fossil fuels. G7 delegates attending the IMF/World Bank meetings... read more...

Tech Tags: Bangkok Post newspaper Business

Gas cartel gains traction

2007-04-05T14:13:00.000+01:00

Gas cartel gains traction

By and

The Wall Street Journal Europe

05 Apr 2007

Western leaders have long had to contend with OPEC, which leveraged control of a large share of world oil trade into geopolitical punch. Now, the West may begin facing a new energy nemesis: a potential natural-gas cartel. The Gas Exporting Countries... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper

Russia keeps sights on Yukos

2007-03-12T21:44:00.000Z

Russia keeps sights on Yukos

By Gregory L. White

The Wall Street Journal Europe

12 Mar 2007

MOSCOW—Authorities searched the offices of auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers for evidence in criminal cases relatedtoOAOYukos, highlighting how the Kremlin campaign against the oil giant continues after more than three years. PwC said Friday’s raid by... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

Shell safety record in North Sea takes a hammering

2007-03-05T09:56:00.000Z

Shell safety record in North Sea takes a hammering

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

05 Mar 2007

Shell has been repeatedly warned by the Health and Safety Executive about the poor state of its North Sea platforms, according to information obtained by the Guardian. The company’s dismal record undermines Shell’s public commitment to... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

For oil-market analysts, caution remains rule of thumb (The Wall Street Journal Europe, 12 Feb 2007, Page 20)

2007-02-12T14:13:00.000Z

For oil-market analysts, caution remains rule of thumb

By Spencer Swartz

The Wall Street Journal Europe

12 Feb 2007

The global oil market has gone from one set of clement conditions to another in recent months with barely a hitch. A quiet U.S. hurricane season last autumn posed no risks to oilproduction facilities. And although cold weather in the U.S. and Europe... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper The Journal Report: Energy

Danish lead green initiative

2007-02-12T14:12:00.000Z

Danish lead green initiative

By Leila Abboud

The Wall Street Journal Europe

12 Feb 2007

Since the oil shocks of the 1970s, governments around the world have paid plenty of lip service to renewable energies such as wind and solar power. But few have tackled the challenge as aggressively as Denmark, which now uses renewables for more than... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper The Journal Report: Energy

Britain needs to move away from unstable energy suppliers B Britain needs to move away from unstable energy suppliers

2007-02-12T13:49:00.000Z

Britain needs to move away from unstable energy suppliers B Britain needs to move away from unstable energy suppliers

The Business

10 Feb 2007

Y THE end of this decade, Britain will have become an importer of both natural gas and oil, a radical change for a country used to plentiful North Sea reserves. By 2020, Britain will be relying on potentially unreliable and politically unstable... read more...

Tech Tags: The Business newspaper Editorial

Royal Dutch Shell encounters a sticky patch in its oil field prospects

2007-02-05T13:18:00.000Z

Royal Dutch Shell encounters a sticky patch in its oil field prospects

RICHARD ORANGE

The Business

03 Feb 2007

MOST of the world’s leading oil companies were founded on an oil gusher; Royal Dutch Shell started with a ship. Marcus Samuel, a London trader, built the Murex, the world’s first oil tanker, to ferry Caspian oil to Europe, breaking John D... read more...

Related:

Kremlin nears energy boost

Tech Tags: The Business newspaper Global Briefing

Shell hires Bush’s environmental adviser

2007-02-05T12:45:00.000Z

Shell hires Bush’s environmental adviser

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

05 Feb 2007

Gale Norton, a former interior secretary for the Bush administration and a supporter of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other sensitive environmental landscapes for oil production, has taken up a senior legal post at Shell. The... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Gazprom on the offensive

2007-01-30T00:24:00.000Z

Gazprom on the offensive

By Marc Champion

The Wall Street Journal Europe

29 Jan 2007

DAVOS, Switzerland—Two things make Alexander Medvedev, the man in charge of Russian energy giant OAO Gazprom’s exports, mad. One is being told the company isn’t doing enough to develop its natural-gas reserves. The other: that he has been shutting off... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

Big Oil’s profit gusher goes dry

2007-01-25T16:17:00.000Z

Big Oil’s profit gusher goes dry

By Russell Gold

The Wall Street Journal Europe

25 Jan 2007

AFTER A REMARKABLY long and successful run of earnings growth, Big Oil is finally stumbling. The major Western integrated oil companies are expected to post year-over-year declines in income for the final quarter of last year. ConocoPhillips reported... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

How BP’s golden Turtle emerged from his shell

2007-01-22T12:54:00.000Z

How BP’s golden Turtle emerged from his shell

Profile by Ian Watson Editor-at-Large

The Business

20 Jan 2007

YOU don’t have to be a Turtle to succeed at BP, but it certainly helps, Tony Hayward, now BP’s chief executive elect, told the Wall Street Journal some years back. That was when the young geologist was working as BP’s treasury secretary. He had just... read more...

Tech Tags: The Business newspaper Business Leader

Rich nations burn less oil

2007-01-19T12:30:00.000Z

Rich nations burn less oil

By Bhushan Bahree

The Wall Street Journal Europe

19 Jan 2007

Mild winter weather has something to do with it. So does heavy selling by financial funds. But a largely overlooked factor in the recent plunge in oil prices may portend an end to the multiyear rise in crude: For the first time in years, the developed... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

Germans’ writ clouds BNG privatisation

2007-01-19T12:09:00.000Z

Germans’ writ clouds BNG privatisation

Terry Macalister and Paul Brown

The Guardian

19 Jan 2007

British Nuclear Group is being taken to the high court by angry customers who believe they are being made to pay a 500,000 fine incurred by the operator for criminal negligence at its Sellafield plant. The German utility E.ONand others are also... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

British Gas leaks customers as rising prices push 4 million to switch

2007-01-18T01:02:00.000Z

British Gas leaks customers as rising prices push 4 million to switch

Miles Brignall

The Guardian

17 Jan 2007

More than four million people switched their energy supplier last year, cutting their bills by about 150 each, according to figures published today. The number of people changing their gas and electricity company was at least 750,000 higher than... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Russia risks losing EU contracts for energy supply

2007-01-12T14:13:00.000Z

Russia risks losing EU contracts for energy supply

David Gow Brussels

The Guardian

12 Jan 2007

The European Union yesterday warned Russia that it must guarantee the reliability of all future oil and gas supplies to Europe or risk the loss of energy contracts and a scaling-down of political contacts. “We have told them [Moscow] that the... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Energy, mining firms take hit

2007-01-08T17:54:00.000Z

Energy, mining firms take hit

By Bhushan Bahree, Paul Glader and Ann Davis

The Wall Street Journal Europe

08 Jan 2007

Energy and copper prices continued their tumble last week, punishing shares of companies from oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. to mining magnate Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. There is no one factor behind the sharp declines in some major commodities.... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Investing

U.S. Congress targets oil-drilling subsidy, cites bungled royalties

2007-01-08T17:49:00.000Z

U.S. Congress targets oil-drilling subsidy, cites bungled royalties

By John J. Fialka

The Wall Street Journal Europe

08 Jan 2007

WASHINGTON—With Democrats controlling Congress, the oil industry is in for a rough ride. But so is the agency that collects royalties for oil and gas drilling on federal lands. Democrats and some Republicans have complained for months that the... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Politics

NuclearMadness

2007-01-04T12:45:00.000Z

NuclearMadness

The Wall Street Journal Europe

04 Jan 2007

Nuclear weapons today present tremendous dangers, but also an historic opportunity. U.S. leadership will be required to take the world to the next stage—to a solid consensus for reversing reliance on nuclear weapons globally as a vital contribution to... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Editorials & Opinion

A British nuclear family

2006-12-29T01:58:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

Gazprom threatens to cut gas to Belarus over price dispute

2006-12-28T00:34:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

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

2006-12-28T00:32:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

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

2006-12-20T13:52:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Warming seas drive shoreline species north

2006-12-20T13:50:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Science

Statoil, NorskHydro create giant

2006-12-20T01:41:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

Candidate for BP top job attacks management

2006-12-20T01:29:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Oil Trust for Iraq

2006-12-19T03:11:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Editorials & Opinion

OPEC plans to lower output 1.9%

2006-12-15T17:31:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

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

2006-12-14T20:10:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper International

Kremlin nears energy boost

2006-12-12T13:51:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

$20bn gas project seized by Russia

2006-12-12T02:30:00.000Z

$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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper

BP disaster site ‘held together with band aids’

2006-12-08T11:34:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Global alternative-energy push fuels trouble in Southeast Asia

2006-12-06T02:24:00.000Z

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...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

Russia, EU reach airline-fee pact, but clash on natural-gas rules

2006-11-27T13:37:00.000Z

Russia, EU reach airline-fee pact, but clash on natural-gas rules

By John W. Miller in Brussels and Daniel Michaels in Paris

The Wall Street Journal Europe

27 Nov 2006

European airlines could save millions of dollars annually after Russia agreed to eliminate overflight fees. But, at a tense summit, the European Union and Moscow clashed over planned EU rules for naturalgas companies. If Moscow follows through with... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Economy & Politics

U.S. forecast brightens for alternative energy

2006-11-21T16:20:00.000Z

U.S. forecast brightens for alternative energy

By Steven Mufson

The Wall Street Journal Europe

21 Nov 2006

THE WASHINGTON POST The top of a large steel vat swings open, and a slab of silicon, cut into pieces the size of large bricks, isliftedontoaconveyorbelt. On amezzanine above the warehouse-style floor of the factory in Frederick, Maryland, Bill Good... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

From ethical champion to rogue interloper — BP’s American nightmare

2006-11-16T19:47:00.000Z

From ethical champion to rogue interloper — BP’s American nightmare

Andrew Clark New York

The Guardian

16 Nov 2006

BP’s tie-up with its United States rival Amoco was supposed to create an ethical champion at the top of the global oil industry. Negotiated by Lord Browne over a bottle of Puligny-Montrachet in a London restaurant, it was one of the biggest mergers in... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Why Repsol stock may be too rich

2006-11-06T18:25:00.000Z

Why Repsol stock may be too rich

By Keith Johnson

The Wall Street Journal Europe

06 Nov 2006

MADRID—Spanish-Argentine oil company Repsol YPF SA is an outlier among European oil companies. Its international expansion has been a series of misadventures in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. The recent slump in oil prices and the steady rise in... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

Safety issues loom for Norwegian oil

2006-11-02T16:11:00.001Z

Safety issues loom for Norwegian oil

By Ian Talley

The Wall Street Journal Europe

02 Nov 2006

OSLO—A workplace-safety controversy in the Norwegian oil industry that has roiled global oil markets may continue to do so in the months ahead. During the past 18 months, problems with lifeboats have caused closures and reduced production from some of... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

Safety issues loom for Norwegian oil

2006-11-02T16:11:00.000Z

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

Australians fight fear of power crisis with giant solar site

2006-10-26T16:45:00.000+01:00

Australians fight fear of power crisis with giant solar site

John Vidal and agencies

The Guardian

26 Oct 2006

Australia yesterday announced it would build one of the world's biggest solar power plants amid warnings of blackouts unless it can increase generation to meet the growing demand for air conditioners. With climate change being increasingly blamed for... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper International

High taxes and low crude prices push down BP profits

2006-10-25T16:05:00.000+01:00

High taxes and low crude prices push down BP profits

Terry Macalister

The Guardian

25 Oct 2006

BP signalled an end to record oil company profits yesterday with lower underlying third-quarter results and warnings about a “more difficult trading environment” as crude prices fell and taxes went up. Lord Browne, BP’s chief executive, also said... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Shell bids to own Canadian unit

2006-10-24T10:48:00.000+01:00

Shell bids to own Canadian unit
By Chip Cummins
The Wall Street Journal Europe
24 Oct 2006

RLondon OYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC’s $6.85 billion gambit to buy out the minority shareholders of its main Canadian affiliate will be a major road test for Chief Executive Jeroen van der Veer and his retooled version of the AngloDutch oil giant. In its... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

Total caught up in oil-for-food probe

2006-10-23T04:05:00.000+01:00

Total caught up in oil-for-food probe
By Michael Williams And David Gauthier-Villars
The Wall Street Journal Europe
23 Oct 2006

PARIS—A French probe of Total SA’s incoming chief executive casts a cloud over the Paris-based oil company just as it faces tough negotiations over complex international deals. Christophe de Margerie, 55 years old, is scheduled to succeed CEO Thierry... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

EU energy plan aims to save ¤100bn a year

2006-10-20T09:23:00.000+01:00

EU energy plan aims to save 100bn a year
Honor Mahony
Friday - Business
20 Oct 2006

The European Commission yesterday unveiled tough new energy efficiency plans with the aim of cutting the EU’s energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2020. The commission believes the plans will cut 100 billion a year off the bloc’s energy bill and... read more...

Tech Tags: Friday - Business newspaper BusinessNews

Nuclear tensions bring supporters flooding back to waning campaign

2006-10-16T13:28:00.000+01:00

Nuclear tensions bring supporters flooding back to waning campaign
Duncan Campbell
The Guardian
14 Oct 2006

In its heyday in the eighties, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was able to mobilise 400,000 people for a rally in Hyde Park. The end of the cold war saw the organisation’s influence wane and membership slump. But now, in the wake of the... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper National

Oil’s slide drives fall in U.S. gasoline prices

2006-10-05T05:25:00.000+01:00

Oil’s slide drives fall in U.S. gasoline prices
By Steve LeVine And Christopher Conkey
The Wall Street Journal Europe
05 Oct 2006

GASOLINE PRICES in the U.S. have dropped more than 20% in the past two months, providing relief to consumers and potentially propping up an economy that is showing signs of slowing. The big driver is oil, which accounts for more than half the cost of... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Economy & Politics

Engineer at BP oil venture in Siberia is found shot dead

2006-10-03T19:06:00.000+01:00

Engineer at BP oil venture in Siberia is found shot dead
By Greg Walters
The Wall Street Journal Europe
03 Oct 2006

MOSCOW—Atoptechnicianatan affiliateofBPPLC’sRussianjointventure was found shot dead in Siberia over the weekend, the second highprofilemurderinlessthanamonthto shake Russia’s business community. The death comes two weeks after the killing of Russia’s... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

China tests nuclear-fusion reactor

2006-09-29T06:51:00.000+01:00

China tests nuclear-fusion reactor
By Shai Oster
The Wall Street Journal Europe
29 Sep 2006

BEIJING—China announced the first successful test of an experimental thermonuclear-fusion reactor, aiming for a cleaner, more powerful form of nuclear energy that mimics the power of the sun. State media said Thursday that scientists at the Institute... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Economy & Politics

Venture capitalists ignite fight over oil tax

2006-09-28T07:03:00.000+01:00

Venture capitalists ignite fight over oil tax
By George Anders And Rebecca Buckman
The Wall Street Journal Europe
28 Sep 2006

STILL SMARTING from California’s recent enactment of emissions caps, the oil industry is confronting another assault in the Golden State—this one bankrolled in part by Silicon Valley executives pushing to fund conservation and alternative-energy... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News

Campaigners attack Shell’s charity arm over Sakhalin talks

2006-09-28T06:56:00.000+01:00

Campaigners attack Shell’s charity arm over Sakhalin talks
Rob Evans and Terry Macalister
The Guardian
28 Sep 2006

An attempt by Shell to portray itself as a model of corporate social responsibility was undermined last night after Whitehall documents showed its charitable arm discussing a key commercial project with a British government minister. The multinational... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

E.On raises offer for Endesa

2006-09-27T06:52:00.000+01:00

E.On raises offer for Endesa
By Keith Johnson
The Wall Street Journal Europe
27 Sep 2006

MADRID—German utility E.On AG late yesterday upped its cash bid for Spanish power company Endesa SA by 38% to OE35 ($44.65) a share, after Spanish builder Acciona SA swept in with a “dusk raid” Monday evening and bought 10% of Endesa at OE32 a... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper LEADING THE NEWS

Saudis plan to boost output by up to 1.5m barrels a day

2006-09-26T05:42:00.000+01:00

Saudis plan to boost output by up to 1.5m barrels a day
by Rupert Steiner CITY EDITOR
The Business
24 Sep 2006

SAUDI Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, is planning to boost future production capacity by 1.5m barrels a day to counter potential supply disruptions expected from Iran, Venezuela and Iraq. The Kingdom, which owns 25% of the world’s proven... read more...

Tech Tags: The Business newspaper Front Page

At summit, Moscow lobbies for EADS role

2006-09-25T05:51:00.000+01:00

At summit, Moscow lobbies for EADS role

The Wall Street Journal Europe
25 Sep 2006

ASSOCIATED PRESS RCompiegne, France USSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin trumpeted his country’s interest in Airbus’s parent and pledged to share more Russian natural-gas riches with European customers during a summit with his French and German... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Economy & Politics

Oil firms’ united front cracks

2006-09-21T10:53:00.000+01:00

Oil firms’ united front cracks
By Steve LeVine in Dallas, Bhushan Bahree in New York and Gregory L. White in Moscow
The Wall Street Journal Europe
21 Sep 2006

Afreshround ofdemandsfor contractconcessions, andoutrightexpropriation, by oil-producing countries have brought down one of the most powerful negotiating tools used by major oil companies—their united front. The companies are divided into two camps:... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

Russia tries to rein in foreign oil firms

2006-09-19T17:52:00.000+01:00

Russia tries to rein in foreign oil firms
Terry Macalister and Michael Mainville Moscow
The Guardian
19 Sep 2006

Shell and BP were facing legal wrangles and upheaval in Russia last night, raising doubts about the involvement of foreign companies in the country’s oil and gas sector. Government approval for Shell’s $20bn Sakhalin project was withdrawn and... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

China nears choice for nuclear plants

2006-09-18T08:54:00.000+01:00

China nears choice for nuclear plants
By Shai Oster
The Wall Street Journal Europe
18 Sep 2006

BEIJING—China will announce by year end which company has won a contract potentially valued at $8 billion to build four nuclearpower plants, a topU.S. energy official said. “They are getting very close to deciding which path they will go down,” U.S.... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper From Page One

Npower raises prices for third time this year

2006-09-08T06:02:00.000+01:00

Npower raises prices for third time this year
Miles Brignall
The Guardian
08 Sep 2006

The gas and electricity supplier npower yesterday became the first power company to announce three price rises in less than a year. The company said it was increasing gas bills by 17.2% and electricity prices by 9.9% for its six million domestic... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Chad seeks more from its partners in an oil pipeline

2006-08-28T03:52:00.000+01:00

Chad seeks more from its partners in an oil pipeline
By Benot Faucon
The Wall Street Journal Europe
28 Aug 2006

LONDON— Chad’s government has told the partners in an oil pipeline operated by Exxon Mobil Corp. that the nation wants to renegotiate the project’s contract, according to a top official at the office of the country’s president. The statement came a... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper ECONOMY POLITICS

Sell-off of nuclear plants faces delay

2006-08-22T10:59:00.000+01:00

Sell-off of nuclear plants faces delay
Nils Pratley Terry Macalister
The Guardian
22 Aug 2006

The government plans to fast-track its sale of a multibillion-pound stake in British Energy, with a road show for potential investors ready to start next month. But hopes for an early sell-off of British Nuclear Group are likely to be dashed today when... read more...

Tech Tags: The Guardian newspaper Financial

Does decline in oil price mark a turning point?

2006-08-21T04:57:00.000+01:00

Does decline in oil price mark a turning point?
By Ann Davis And Bhushan Bahree
The Wall Street Journal Europe
21 Aug 2006

A nearly 8% decline in crude-oil prices in the past two weeks, and the market’s flirtation Friday with prices below $70 a barrel, is reigniting a debate: Is there an oil-price bubble, and could it burst? Underlying the question is an argument about... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Front Page

British Energy says output goal looks improbable

2006-08-17T07:10:00.000+01:00

British Energy says output goal looks improbable

The Wall Street Journal Europe
17 Aug 2006

Nuclear-power generator British Energy Group PLC warned it is unlikely to hit its output target for the year amid performance problems at its aging reactors. The news hit the company’s shares, which fell 4.5% to 718 pence ($13.59) in London... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Corporate News Global Business Briefs

BP mulls using another pipeline from closed field

2006-08-16T06:36:00.000+01:00

BP mulls using another pipeline from closed field
By John M. Biers
The Wall Street Journal Europe
16 Aug 2006

PRUDHOE BAY, Alaska— BP PLC officials are considering alternative pipeline routes fromthe closed portion of the giant oil field here, a move that might allow production to resume by October. Theeastern portionof the field— closed last week after the... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper Leading The News

Bush eschews tough tacticsweaning U.S. from oil

2006-08-11T09:23:00.000+01:00

Bush eschews tough tacticsweaning U.S. from oil
By John D. McKinnon And Laura Meckler
The Wall Street Journal Europe
11 Aug 2006

WASHINGTON— Six months ago, President George W. Bush upbraided Americans in his State of the Union address for being “addicted to oil” and urged them to look at ethanol as a cure. It was the signature moment in the energy strategy the president has... read more...

Tech Tags: The Wall Street Journal Europe newspaper ECONOMY& POLITICS

Panic fast-track for ethanol

2006-08-08T06:26:00.000+01:00

Panic fast-track for ethanol
Steve Lewis Samantha Maiden
Australian
08 Aug 2006

THE Howard Government is fast-tracking plans to subsidise the use of alternative fuels such as ethanol in a panicked response to community anger over high petrol prices. As MPs warn of a voter backlash ahead of next year’s election, millions of... read more...

Tech Tags: Australian newspaper Front Page

DEFAULT lHomeowners at risk

2006-08-04T10:51:00.000+01:00

DEFAULT lHomeowners at risk

San Jose Mercury News
03 Aug 2006

ing months. Notices of default are the first step in the foreclosure process. Statewide, the number of homeowners in default reached 20,752, a 67 percent increase from the second quarter of 2005, when default rates hovered near historic lows. It was... read more...

Tech Tags: San Jose Mercury News newspaper Businessbriefing

The end comes for Yukos as oil firm declared bankrupt and auction ordered

2006-08-02T12:52:00.000+01:00

The end comes for Yukos as oil firm declared bankrupt and auction ordered
Tom Parfitt Moscow Terry Macalister
The Guardian
02 Aug 2006

Yukos, the Russian oil company whose former owner dared to defy the Kremlin, was finally crushed yesterday as a court in Moscow declared it bankrupt and ordered its assets to be sold. The Russian state-dominated companies Rosneft and Gazprom were... read more...

Big oil logs big profit gains amid pressure to pump more

2006-07-28T06:49:00.000+01:00

Big oil logs big profit gains amid pressure to pump more
By Jeffrey Ball And Benot Faucon
The Wall Street Journal Europe
28 Jul 2006

Exxon Mobil Corp. reported its second-highest quarterly profit ever, while Royal Dutch Shell PLC also reported a huge profit jump, in showings that likely will lead to greater political pressure on the oil industry and renewed calls to increase their... read more...

Soviet power falls to City of London with series of energy flotations

2006-07-27T16:56:00.000+01:00

Soviet power falls to City of London with series of energy flotations
Terry Macalister
The Guardian
27 Jul 2006

A substantial part of the Russian electricity sector created by Lenin to modernise the new Soviet economy is to be privatised with a series of floats expected on the London stock exchange. Unified Energy System ( UES), holding company for regional... read more...

Energetic turn to wind power

2006-07-27T14:34:00.001+01:00

Energetic turn to wind power
By Christian THE WASHINGTON Toto TIMES
The Washington Times Daily
27 Jul 2006

he answer, or at least a partial answer, to the country’s energy woes may be blowin’ in the wind. Wind energy produces no emissions and is the ultimate renewable resource, but for now, it represents just a fraction of the nation’s... read more...

Tech Tags: The Washington Times Daily newspaper Metropolitan

I am going in 2008, says BP boss

2006-07-26T19:26:00.000+01:00

I am going in 2008, says BP boss

The Guardian
26 Jul 2006

read more...

Texas new leader in wind energy

2006-07-26T19:07:00.000+01:00

Texas new leader in wind energy
By Steve Quinn Associated Press
San Jose Mercury News
25 Jul 2006

DALLAS — Long known as a top oil- and natural gas-producing state, Texas has gained new energy acclaim by becoming the nation’s top producer of wind energy. Texas capacity stands at 2,370 megawatts, enough to power 600,000 average-size homes a year,... read more...

Oil prices key threat: think tank

2006-07-26T18:47:00.000+01:00

Oil prices key threat: think tank
ERIC BEAUCHESNE CANWEST NEWS SERVICE OTTAWA –
The Gazette, Montreal
26 Jul 2006

The major risk to the global economy is that oil prices, and then in turn interest rates, will be driven higher by geopolitical uncertainties, according to an otherwise upbeat forecast yesterday. The global economy will slow to 3.4 per cent this year... read more...

BP ready to look outside for Browne’s successor

2006-07-24T18:52:00.000+01:00

BP ready to look outside for Browne’s successor
By Christopher Hope Industry Editor
Business
24 Jul 2006

PETER Sutherland, chairman of BP, is considering external candidates to succeed Lord Browne of Madingley as chief executive, which could frustrate the oil industry veteran’s attempts to anoint his successor. Lord Browne will attempt to use tomorrow’s... read more...

British Energy stake to be sold

2006-07-23T18:51:00.000+01:00

British Energy stake to be sold
SIMON BAIN simon.bain@theherald.co.uk
The Herald
21 Jul 2006

THE government has confirmed that it wants to offload part of its stake in British Energy in a fundraising manoeuvre. Alistair Darling, theTrade and Industry Secretary, said: “I confirm that the government will actively consider a sale of part of its... read more...

His father’s Providence

2006-07-23T18:22:00.000+01:00

His father’s Providence
Topaz p Amoore
Business
23 Jul 2006

If Sir Tony O’Reilly famously made a killing from ketchup, the billionaire’s youngest child – also called Tony – is looking to do the same from oil. That’s crude oil, rather than the olive variety: unlikely as it sounds, the O’Reilly family is hoping... read more...

Move to stop BP retiring Browne

2006-07-21T10:43:00.000+01:00

Move to stop BP retiring Browne
By Christopher Hope Industry Editor
Business
21 Jul 2006

INVESTORS in BP are being urged to overturn the oil major’s retirement policy for directors in order to allow the chief executive, Lord Browne of Madingley, to stay on at the company. Mark Iannotti, a Merrill Lynch oil analyst, said that Lord Browne’s... read more...

Impoverished Madagascar lures Exxon

2006-07-19T04:41:00.000+01:00

Impoverished Madagascar lures Exxon
MIKE COHEN BLOOMBERG
Calgary Herald
19 Jul 2006

Two-wheeled ox carts and decades-old Renaults choke the cobbled streets of Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, reminders of how slowly the country has advanced since independence in 1960. Now the government is auctioning oil drilling rights to improve... read more...

Smart meter to jolt charges

2006-07-18T08:33:00.000+01:00

Smart meter to jolt charges
Chris Jenkins Energy
Australian
18 Jul 2006

NSW power utility Energy Australia is planning to test a new breed of advanced electricity meter with 10,000 customers as it moves to install a half-million socalled smart meters over the next two years. The company expects to spend about $100 million... read more...

Oil, gas expected to heat up coal prices

2006-07-18T08:12:00.000+01:00

Oil, gas expected to heat up coal prices
BY MATHEW CARR, LONDON
Globe and Mail
18 Jul 2006

Coal prices may rise as oil and natural gas become more expensive and as exporters in Australia and South Africa struggle to expand rail and port operations to boost output, a Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. analyst says. “Coal will increase as buyers... read more...

Almost out of gas on energy policy

2006-07-14T11:13:00.000+01:00

Almost out of gas on energy policy

Edmonton Journal
14 Jul 2006

RalphKlein,Alberta’spremier for anotherfivemonths,sayshedoesn’t“give a tinker’s damn”whetherareviewhas been done of provincial resource royalties. Thankheavensomeofthecandidates to replace him as Alberta Conservative leaderdon’tshare his cavalier... read more...

U.S. has more than one reason to favour move to nuclear energy

2006-07-14T11:11:00.000+01:00

U.S. has more than one reason to favour move to nuclear energy
JIM HOAGLAND WASHINGTON Jim Hoagland writes for the Washington Post
Edmonton Journal
14 Jul 2006

If presidential willpowercanenderas, the generation-old fear of nuclear energyborninthecatastrophesofThreeMile Island and Chernobyl is marked for extinction. Theworldwillmoveinsteadintoaconfident to reduce global warming, prevent energy shortages and... read more...

What is Energy Security?

2006-07-11T10:27:00.000+01:00

What is Energy Security?
By Daniel Yergin
The Wall Street Journal Europe
11 Jul 2006

ST. PETERSBURG—At the conclusion of last year’s summit, in Scotland, Vladimir Putin said to the other leaders of the G-8 industrial nations, “We’ve talked about Africa and climate change this year. Next year it will be energy security.” Setting the agenda was certainly his prerogative as the incoming “president” of the G-8.
But the turbulence in the year since has earned “energy security” its place as the No. 1 item for this weekend’s meeting here. There was the huge shock that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita delivered to the Gulf of Mexico energy complex; the continuing loss of 20% of Nigerian oil output from domestic insurgency; Russia’s temporary interruption of natural gas supplies to Ukraine at the beginning of this year; the chronic impairment of Iraqi oil output; Hugo Chavez’s warnings about cutting off Venezuelan supplies to the U.S.; and the recurrent threats by some Iranian leaders to unleash an “oil crisis” (even if other Iranians deny any such intent.) Fueling the anxiety, of course, has been the 60% rise in oil prices, to $75 a barrel, since the beginning of last year.
The world has changed much since the concept of “energy security” emerged in the 1970s. But agreeing on the importance of the topic is not the same as agreeing on what it means. Consuming countries declare that they want “security of supply”—that is, reliability and availability of energy at reasonable prices. Exporting countries, whether Russia or in the Middle East, turn it around and talk about “security of demand”—sufficient access to markets and consumers to justify future investment (and protect their national revenues).
Probe further and the differences become even sharper. For Russia, energy security in recent years is about the state’s retaking control of the “commanding heights” of the energy industry and extending that control downstream... read more...

Search for oil, gas tilts north

2006-07-11T10:12:00.000+01:00

Search for oil, gas tilts north
By Ian Talley
The Wall Street Journal Europe
11 Jul 2006

OSLO—The world’s major energy companies are making billiondollar long-term bets in the world’s frozen Arctic regions, as they seek to tap vast deposits of oil and natural gas amid some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The Arctic has almost 108... read more...

Rosneft poised for successful IPO in London and Moscow

2006-07-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

Rosneft poised for successful IPO in London and Moscow
by Richard Orange
The Business
09 Jul 2006

ROSNEFT, Russia’s state-owned oil giant, is set to make a successful debut on the London and Moscow stock exchanges this Friday on the eve of the G8 summit in St Petersburg, despite being valued at less than had been hoped. President Vladimir Putin,... read more...

Race to the world’s energy hotspots

2006-07-07T05:50:00.000+01:00

Race to the world’s energy hotspots
Terry Macalister
The Guardian
07 Jul 2006

The decision by Sinopec of China to pay $1bn for the right to explore for oil in deep water off Angola has shocked the west, which fears it could be left behind in a global scramble for resources.

Similar oil prospects off the coast of the impoverished African country were selling for $35m (19m) less than a decade ago, when western oil giants such as BP and Shell had the field almost to themselves.

The rising power of oil companies from fast-developing and energyhungry nations such as China and India have contributed to soaring oil prices. This week, they hit record highs of $75 a barrel, dipping only slightly yesterday.

“It’s just like the British housing market. You have a lot of people chasing a few opportunities. The difference with oil is the companies have huge amounts of cash,” said Derek Butter, an analyst at energy consultants Wood Mackenzie, based in Edinburgh.

And it is not just Angola that is benefiting. The Nigerian government has just sold 16 exploration licences in deep water areas for $500m and secured promises that the buyers will spend a further $20bn on new infrastructure projects such as gas-processing units. Licences have been... read more...

Russia’s energy monopolies find room to grow

2006-07-06T07:06:00.000+01:00

Russia’s energy monopolies find room to grow
By Guy Chazan And Gregory L. White
The Wall Street Journal Europe
06 Jul 2006

MOSCOW—When President Vladimir Putin hosts the Group of Eight leading nations in St. Petersburg next week, he is expected to sign an energy action plan bristling with pro-market rhetoric about improving the investment climate, encouraging competition and increasing access to energy markets.

But in recent months, Moscow has imposed strict limits on foreign investment in its oil and gas fields while entrenching the dominance of big state-owned monopolies like natural-gas giant OAO Gazprom.

Russia passed a law yesterday enshrining Gazprom’s exclusive right to export Russian gas, weeks after the European Union called for Moscow to open its pipeline network.

The disconnect shows how differently Russia and other G-8 members view energy security—a topic Mr. Putin has put at the top of the summit’s agenda. (See related article on Page 18.)

“Call it the Sinatra approach,” said Marc Franco, head of the European Commission delegation to Russia, in an interview. “The Russians have assured us they’ll work on issues [like market access], but they’ll do it their own way.”

Though it alarms some governments, the Russian approach hasn’t fazed many of the major international energy companies desperate for access to Russia’s vast reserves.

Big oil companies from Asia and Europe are showing strong interest in buying shares in the initial public offering of state oil company OAO Rosneft. The IPO could be valued at as much as $12 billion.

“The only way you’re going to get access to…resources in Russia is if you have good relationships with” Rosneft and Gazprom, said oneWestern oil executive.

People close to the situation said BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have expressed interest in participating, as have China National Petroleum Corp. and Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd., or Petronas. Each could buy $1 billion or more in stock, with industry buyers potentially takingmore than half of the shares on offer, these people said.

For BP, which invested $7 billion in a joint venture in Russia in 2003 and joined with Rosneft in a project in Russia’s far east, ensuring good relations with... read more...

HIBERNIARESERVES ESTIMATE UP68%

2006-06-29T09:09:00.000+01:00

HIBERNIARESERVES ESTIMATE UP68%

National Post
29 Jun 2006

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s biggest public oil company, and its partners boosted estimated reserves by as much as 68% at Hibernia, Canada’s most productive offshore oilfield. The increase wasa result of information from recently drilled wells,... read more...

New pipeline to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russia (Globe and Mail, 27 Jun 2006, Page B11)

2006-06-29T08:59:00.000+01:00

New pipeline to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russia

Globe and Mail
27 Jun 2006

The European Union and the energy ministers of Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey agreed yesterday to go ahead with the construction of a pipeline that will enable Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. In a joint declaration in... read more...