IRJ – January 3 – French energy conglomerate Total SA has inked a US$2.3 billion shale deal with Chesapeake Energy Corp. and EnerVest—almost two years to the day since it penned a $2.25 billion accord with Chesapeake back on January 4 2010. This deal, heralded as the latest in the forming trend of European and Asian energy majors seeking ...
IRJ—December 23—Canadian miner TVI Pacific Inc. has completed its second shipment of zinc concentrate from Canatuan, Zamboanga del Norte, with a total value of around $5 million.
In a statement TVI Pacific said that its local affiliate, TVI Resource Development Inc. (TVIRD), had shipped 5,344 dry metric tonnes of zinc concentrate which contains 50.4 per cent zinc.
“TVIRD expects to ...
IRJ—December 22—Following the opening of production in Singapore and Finland, Neste Oil has announced the commissioning of its Rotterdam facility to produce hydrated vegetable oil (HVO).
The Rotterdam refinery produces NExBTL renewable diesel, Neste Oil’s own type of diesel, and adds a further 800,000 tonnes to the company, bringing its total output in at two million tonnes of HVO.
“Through hard ...
IRJ—December 21—Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that the country still wants to create a tri-lateral gas consortium with Russia and the EU in order to manage its transportation of gas.
“We very much want to create a gas transportation consortium, in which responsibility for its operation will be shared between Ukraine, Russia and Europe,” he said at a news ...
IRJ—December 20—Vale is conducting extraordinary new laboratory experiments with soil fungi to investigate reducing the amount of time taken to restore former mining sites.
At present, mining sites can take up to 30 years to fully recover and Vale is testing the elimination of chemical fertilisers on this recovery period.
“Restoring degraded sites is complex and slow, and so ...
IRJ—December 20—AIM-listed Northern Petroleum has completed an extended well test of the Ottoland oil discovery in The Netherlands.
In 2007 the well was drilled and in 2009 hydraulic fracturing took place; following this, permission was received to conduct the extended test using a jet pump to aid the flow of oil.
Northern Petroleum wants to design production facilities to meet ...
IRJ—December 19—Council-owned buildings in Lincoln, England, have had their first ever solar photovoltaic panels installed.
As part of the ‘Lincoln Green’ campaign which aims to reduce the city’s carbon footprint, eleven panels, capable of generating nearly 2 kilowatts per hour were fitted at Broomhill sheltered housing scheme.
The building already has an air source heat pump which provides heating and hot ...
IRJ – December 15 – North Gauteng’s High Court has ruled in favour of Anglo American subsidiary Kumba Iron Ore's (“Kumba”) 80 per cent held Sishen Iron Ore Co. and granted the group full rights over the Sishen mine. The news sent shares in project partner, Indian steel giant ArcelorMittal subsidiary ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), rocketing up 5.7 per ...
IRJ – December 14 –Conflicting comments were made by an Iranian spokesman, as he appeared to go against the government grain when discussing fears that Tehran plans to close key oil and gas point the Strait of Hormuz. The ISNA new agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying that, “The Islamic republic has repeatedly said that the ...
IRJ – December 13 –Canadian oil major Suncor Energy Inc. is the latest multinational to pull out of Syria, Monday, following European Union sanctions imposed on the government of President Bashar al-Assad at the start of December. “The current situation in Syria is very concerning, and our thoughts are with the Syrian people as we hope for a return ...
IRJ – December 12 – Four months into his presidential run, Peru’s President Ollanta Humala has had a cabinet shake up and sworn in 10 new officials, including a new Mines Minister following violent outbursts and protests throughout the past month. Oscar Valdes replaces cabinet chief Salomon Lerner, who quit after a state of emergency was declared following protests ...
IRJ – December 9 – Indian steel giant ArcelorMittal’s local subsidiary, ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. and Anglo American Plc. unit, Kumba Iron Ore (Kumba), will postpone arbitration proceedings regarding supply agreements until issues surrounding Kumba’s Sishen iron ore mine license in the Northern Cape are resolved, the company reports Friday. Mittal proposed the delay to arbitration dealings, agreed to ...
