A potent combination of factors, including a stronger US dollar, a weaker Chinese economy, and rising oil prices, is creating a dangerous cocktail that threatens to disrupt the stability of Southeast Asian economies. A strong dollar makes servicing dollar-denominated debt more expensive, increasing the burden on countries with substantial external …
Read More »Time for China’s Belt and Road to Go Green
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently announced at the UN General Assembly that China “will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.” Chinese banks have already swung into gear. Three days after Xi’s speech, the Bank of China declared it would no longer provide financing for new coal mining and power …
Read More »Covid Lockdowns in India and Japan Slow LNG Momentum
Just as liquefied natural gas (LNG) spot markets in the Asia Pacific were gaining momentum, headwinds from the Covid-19 pandemic are again causing problems for suppliers of the super-cooled fuel. The trouble for markets comes with the dramatic coronavirus surge in India. It has a knock-on effect of curbing power …
Read More »Switch to LNG Threatens Renewable Energy Development in Asia
A concerted effort by the US gas industry to push LNG on to developing Asian nations is jeopardizing renewable-energy investment across the continent. General Electric (GE) has been working to persuade Bangladesh to buy its LNG power technology. And Vietnam’s new draft long-term energy plan’s increased focus on liquefied natural …
Read More »Asian Gas Markets Warm up to China’s Surging LNG Demand
Aside from economic growth during a global pandemic, China appears to be also projecting an increase in natural gas demand this winter while other major Asian powers’ gas demand is either expected to remain flat or increase only incrementally. On Thursday, the country’s three state-run oil majors said that China’s …
Read More »Gulf Oil Producers Brace for Budget Deficits
States in the Persian Gulf region understandably are ramping up spending in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. But their income also is in sharp decline as oil prices test lows. They must thus decide how to cover newfound deficits as oil trades in the US$20-$35-per-barrel range, and natural gas …
Read More »Asian Spot LNG Prices Fall as November Cargoes Offloaded
Spot Asian LNG spiked last month in anticipation of winter demand after a hot summer depleted stockpiles.
Read More »Total Chief Executive does not Deny Merger with ENI
France’s Total has been seeking a merger with ENI for decades .
Read More »China Continues Exploration Oil Resources in East China Sea
China’s and Japan’s Economic Exclusive Zones (EEZ) in the area overlap and about 40.000 square kilometers of ocean territory is in dispute.
Read More »US Ready to Slap Sanctions on China over Iran Oil Imports
China imports more than one-quarter of Iran’s oil.
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