May 2010

NEWS OF a deal between Russia and Ukraine over gas supplies should, at last, answer the debate about whether politics or business was at the heart of the gas wars between the two countries in recent years

The proposal would cover all production, transmission, processing and other facilities that produce at least 25,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent of fugitive and vented emissions each year. Companies would begin collecting data on 1 January 2011, and would submit reports each year, beginning 13 March 2012

The leaders of the Czech Republic's largest right- and left-leaning parties would both support the government's plan to sell down the state's stake in CEZ from around 70% to 55%, if elected as prime minister

Natural phenomena occasionally threaten the oil industry, but most of its problems are man-made, writes James Gavin

Wild swings in the price of oil in 2008 and 2009 have nudged the debate between oil producers and consumers forward, but the sides remain fundamentally apart on the main issue

The government's oil reforms, seen initially as positive for the industry, have been high-jacked by the country's legislators and now threaten upstream investment, Martin Quinlan writes

CNPC's decision to build a refinery in Chad is a rare piece of positive news in Africa's refining sector – and emphasises the region's reliance on Chinese investment, writes Ian Lewis

Shell has a clear vision for its future and is predicting a new era of oil and gas production growth, writes NJ Watson

A new agreement should keep Russian gas flowing through Ukraine. But what is the true cost for the country?

Development of the US' unconventional gas resources will require a significant expansion of pipeline infrastructure. Midstream companies are stepping up to the plate, writes Anne Feltus

In the space of three years, the LNG sector has witnessed dramatic changes, not least the recession and the rise of unconventional gas, writes John Meagher*

With its capacity to absorb the short-term oversupply forecast for the global LNG market, the US is the logical destination for excess supplies, writes Nikos Tsafos*

With Argentine gas production falling and the country increasingly reliant on spot LNG cargoes the government has turned to Bolivia to secure its long-term gas-supply requirements, reports Robert Olson

Venezuela's urgent need to exploit its gas resources seems to be outweighing President Hugo Chávez's dislike of Western firms

Trinidad and Tobago struggling for LNG production

Asia's growing economies hope domestic shale-gas resources can solve their energy security concerns, writes Ian Lewis

The sponsors of Abu Dhabi's Shah sour-gas development face tough choices over the commercial basis of the deal, reports James Gavin

"CHINA needs energy security and we're here to provide them with all the oil they need," said Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez last month. His country also needs cash. So a new oil-for-loans deal signed with Chinese state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is a good fit

IHS sheds doubt on Iraqi production ambitions

THE LONG-awaited strategy for energy exploration and development in US coastal waters is a comprehensive plan that Interior Department secretary Ken Salazar hailed as "a new direction" for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

SAUDI Aramco has cut term prices for its crudes to Asian buyers to protect its share of the Asian market. Aramco is determined to remain competitive with other big sellers, such as Brazil and Venezuela, as they target the world's fastest-growing consumption centre

APRIL'S PLANE crash – killing the Polish president, his wife and 86 other dignitaries in Russia – has overshadowed Russian-Polish relations. Yet a few days earlier the two countries had made a breakthrough in their energy relations, which have rarely been good

A SHELL-led scheme to commercialise flared gas in southern Iraq is facing further long delays because of political and commercial problems

Unconventional gas will play a limited role in LNG's future

FUNDING has caused problems for wind-power developers and over-supply has been a problem for Chinese turbine manufacturers over the last year

An oil well to be spudded this summer in the UK's far-north waters could, if hopes are fulfilled, lead to a surge of exploration in the new Atlantic-margin frontier province

Barack Obama suggests too "cosy" a relationship between the oil industry and the authorities that regulate it may have contributed to lax rules in the Gulf of Mexico, where BP's oil slick continues to spread

The Deepwater Horizon disaster has dominated oil-industry headlines since April, but upstream activity in the US Gulf of Mexico otherwise remains brisk, writes Anne Feltus

Rapid growth in oil and gas production and a competitive fiscal regime should make Peru's forthcoming licensing round a success, says Perupetro