Energy & Oil

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:34 UTC

  Shell and Brazilian company join to create giant ethanol producer and distributor

  

  Brazil's Cosan, the world's largest ethanol and sugar processor, said announced Monday it signed an agreement to merge its ethanol and fuels distribution business in the country with Royal Dutch Shell in a deal valued as much as 12 billion US dollars.

• Friday, January 29th 2010 - 01:54 UTC

  Canada confident of its oil potential development in spite of Venezuela

  

  An assessment that Venezuela sits on one of the largest oil fields on record does not threaten the potential of Canadian reserve development, analysts said.

• Monday, January 25th 2010 - 14:58 UTC

  Venezuela could hold world’s largest oil reserves, says US Geological Survey

  

  A new US assessment of Venezuela's oil reserves could give the country double the supplies of Saudi Arabia. Scientists working for the US Geological Survey say Venezuela's Orinoco belt region holds twice as much petroleum as previously thought.
  The geologists estimate the area could yield more than 500 billion barrels of crude oil.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 14:49 UTC

  Repsol forced to reassess its Bolivian hydrocarbons reserves

  

  Oil company Repsol YPF is studying the impact on its hydrocarbon reserves accounting as a consequence of a change in Bolivian law, but has not made a decision on whether to lower its reserves, a spokesman for Spanish firm confirmed this week in Madrid.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 04:32 UTC

  First Seaweed-Based Biofuel Plant Goes Ahead In Chile

  

  The ugly swarms of algae that plague Chile's beaches may be an alternative energy blessing in disguise. Chilean economic development corporation (CORFO) announced an investment of 7 million US dollars towards a seaweed-based bio-ethanol project spearheaded by Chile and U.S. scientists.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 12:12 UTC

  BHP Billiton confirms oil exploration commitment in Falklands’ waters

  

  BHP Billiton Ltd., Australia’s biggest oil and gas producer, boosted its forecast for petroleum exploration spending by 33% because of an increase in drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico and offshore Australia.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:46 UTC

  Brazil inaugurates first commercial ethanol-fuelled power plant

  

  Brazil inaugurated this week the world’s first ethanol-fuelled power plant in the state of Minas Gerais. The flex-fuel turbine, which was converted from running solely on natural gas, began operating on December 31 and is currently in its optimization and testing phase.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:44 UTC

  Seismologists’ call to prepare for a “great earthquake” in Western Sumatra

  

  The earthquake which rocked Padang, western Sumatra in September last year killing more than 1000 people was not the 'great earthquake' which earth scientists are waiting for. In fact, it may have made the next massive earthquake more likely.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 02:31 UTC

  Oil executives check preparations for rig arrival in Falklands

  

  DRILLING chemicals, pipe casing and logging equipment are just part of the mass of physical supplies being offloaded in Stanley in preparation for the arrival of the oil rig in Falkland Islands waters next month.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 13:31 UTC

  US and NZ share the biggest wind farm in Antarctica

  

  The biggest wind farm in ice covered Antarctica and which can generate enough electricity to power 500 homes, was formally switched on this weekend.