In late August 2008, Iraq’s oil minister announced that China’s major oil company, CNPC, had signed a contract with the government to develop the Ahdab field, resurrecting an arrangement reached in 1997. The Ahdab field lies 160 km south-east of Baghdad and was discovered in 1979 by … Continue Reading ››
All posts by ParadigmIT Support
China’s energy efficiency drive: is it sustainable?
I write this column on the day of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. I am sitting in a fifty year old apartment block. The temperature inside is not far below the 32 degrees Celsius outside. Despite the heat, I, for one, am adhering to the … Continue Reading ››
China’s recent energy price rises: why now and what next?
You should always expect the unexpected in China. The opaque system of government allows major decisions to be sprung on its own population and on the rest of the world with little or no notice. Whilst this mode of operation may indeed constrain speculative behaviour … Continue Reading ››
China’s coal supply: the Achilles Heel of the nation’s energy sector?
Electrical power shortages loom again, and 2008 was meant to be the first year for a while in which China was to have enough power generation capacity to satisfy demand. But the problem is not a shortage of power generation capacity, rather a shortage of … Continue Reading ››
China’s oil demand: where is it heading?
In early May 2008 prices for crude oil are hovering around US$ 120 per barrel, and some are suggesting that they may reach US$ 200 per barrel. What does this mean for demand for oil in the world, in developing countries and, particularly, in China? … Continue Reading ››
China: Oil prices, subsidies and rebates – where do we go from here?
In last month’s column I ended with the following words: “China’s energy sector is truly stranded between the plan and the market, and the government retains few levers of management”. There may indeed be few levers left, but the government has not lost faith in … Continue Reading ››
China’s energy shortages highlight long-term policy challenges?
The country is recovering from one of the most widespread energy supply crises it has suffered in recent memory. The immediate cause was clear: the worst winter weather over central and southern China for more than fifty years. The force of nature can render useless even … Continue Reading ››
Is China’s energy policy emerging at last?
Over the last ten years I have made myself unpopular in China by frequently, possibly too frequently, stating that China does not appear to have an energy policy, or at least does not appear to have a coherent energy policy. But I have tried to remember … Continue Reading ››
China’s draft Energy Law: a new beginning or more of the same?
On the 3rd December 2007 China’s government issued a draft of the proposed Energy Law. There have been several drafts of the Law since the middle of 2006 when work formally started on drafting the Law. This draft is for public comment and comments are to be received by the end … Continue Reading ››
China: Coal mine disasters – soaring demand and weak regulatory capacity?
September and December 2007 were bad months for China’s coal mining industry. In September 181 miners died when a mine in Shandong Province was flooded by heavy rain. In December 105 miners died in the Xinyao village coal mine in Shanxi Province, the … Continue Reading ››