Investments

• Friday, November 27th 2009 - 08:43 UTC

  Ecuadorean oil in exchange for Chinese credits, cooperation and war planes

  

  Ecuador and China signed this week three cooperation agreements worth 442 million US dollars including a loan to buy four warplanes, announced the Ecuadorian government. The two countries are also planning joint operations in developing oil fields in the Amazon zone.

• Friday, November 27th 2009 - 08:40 UTC

  Volkswagen plans to invest 3.5 billion USD in next five years

  

  Volkswagen do Brasil said Thursday it will invest the equivalent of 3.5 billion US dollars in Brazil between 2010 and 2014 in an attempt to overtake Fiat as the country's number one car and truck retailer.

• Friday, November 27th 2009 - 05:19 UTC

  Spain’s Repsol only interested in selling minority stake in YPF

  

  Spain's main oil company Repsol is not interested in selling more than a minority stake in its Argentine YPF unit, despite a report it had a new Chinese bid on the table for a majority holding.

• Wednesday, November 25th 2009 - 10:05 UTC

  Oil rig “Ocean Guardian” leaves on 62-day journey to the Falklands

  

  A tug boat is to haul a North Sea oil and gas exploration rig from a Highlands deep water port on a 62-day journey to the Falkland Islands. The “Ocean Guardian” rig will be used by Desire Petroleum to explore reserves in the North Falkland Basin.

• Tuesday, November 24th 2009 - 12:59 UTC

  Ford plans its largest ever investment in Brazil: 2.3 billion USD

  

  Ford Motor Co. announced it will spend 4 billion Reis (2.3 billion US dollars) to expand in the growing Brazilian market, the largest investment it has made in the country.

• Saturday, November 21st 2009 - 11:31 UTC

  World largest solar powered trimaran prepares to circumnavigate the world

  

  The world's largest solar-powered trimaran, PlanetSolar, will not have sails. Instead of wind it will rely on the power of the sun to circumnavigate the world in 140 days. That's according to plans sketched out by the financial backers and designers of the triple-hull, 30-metre-long, 15-metre-wide boat under construction at Knierim shipyard in Kiel, Germany.

• Friday, November 20th 2009 - 02:09 UTC

  Santiago airport expansion and fast train plans unveiled by Chile

  

  The Chilean government this week unveiled two major public transport initiatives aimed upgrading the nation’s transport infrastructure: a third runway and expanded terminal at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (AMB) and a fast train service connecting the airport to the port city of Valparaiso in 2010.

• Thursday, November 19th 2009 - 13:08 UTC

  BG Group plans to invest 20 billion USD to develop oil and gas in Brazil

  

  The president of British Gas Group in Brazil, Nelson Silva said this week that the company plans to invest 20 billion US dollars in the country until 2020.

• Thursday, November 19th 2009 - 06:05 UTC

  Desalinization plant in north Chile to support iron mining

  

  CAP, one of Chile's largest mining companies, announced plans this week to construct a 250 million US dollars desalinization plant to provide water for its iron mining operations in Chile’s northern Atacama area (Region III).

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:22 UTC

  British Airways/Iberia merger will create Europe’s third largest airline

  

  British Airways and Spanish airline Iberia say they have reached a preliminary agreement for a merger expected to be completed in late 2010. The merger, which must be approved by the European Commission, would create Europe's third biggest airline.
  Under its terms, Iberia would take a 45% stake and BA, which last week reported a six-month pre-tax loss of £292m, a 55% stake in the company.