Thursday, August 4, 2011
Pakistan proceeds with Thar coal project
Pakistan's first 50-megawatt gasified Thar coal reserves project is nearly complete. Science and Technology Planning Commission member Samar Mubarakmand said that the Thar Coal Project would become operational in December 2013.
This is good news for Pakistan's government, which remains largely dependent on energy imports, The News Online reported Wednesday.
During an interview with the state-run PTV television channel, Mubarakmand stated that electricity generated from the Thar gasified coal plant would have a minimal cost and that Pakistan has sufficient coal reservoirs to provide electricity for the nation for five centuries, The News Online said.
Mubarakmand's optimism was countered by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who has held Mubarakmand responsible for the pace of work on the delayed Thar coal project.
"Frankly speaking, Dr. Mubarakmand's work is slow," Shah said during a news conference Wednesday in Hyderabad.
The Sindh government has divided the Thar project into eight coal-mining blocks, with Block-V was given to Mubarakmand, a former nuclear scientist, for the underground coal gasification facility.
Mubarakmand stated that work on the Thar project was progressing and the first 50-megawatt gasified project was almost completed. The project had been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council in 2010.
Two years ago the Central Development Working Party approved Mubarakmand's two projects: "the creation of new processing facilities (for production of coal gas by underground coal gasification)" and "the creation of new processing facilities (for handling and purification of the natural gas)."
At the time Mubarakmand expressed optimism that the project's success could encourage foreign investment by premier foreign companies involved with the development of gasification of coal reserves, telling journalists that several foreign companies had shown interest in the project.
Since then however the Thar project has largely only attracted the interest of foreign consultants, with the sole investment interest being with the exception of Pakistan's Engro Corp., which has obtained an exploration bloc.
In addition, British consultant Oracle Coalfields is preparing a feasibility report and Cougar Energy are interested, while Canadian company SNC Lavalin Environment Inc. is analyzing the costs of the Thar's project required transmission lines.
A recent report by energy analytical company Wood Mackenzie on Southeast Asia's future energy sources reported that coal will be its top priority up to 2020 or even beyond, given its regional availability, despite popular perceptions that natural gas will be the region's top fuel.
Nigerian and South Korean firms to build LPG facility
South Korea is to build a liquefied petroleum gas facility in Nigeria. A consortium of Nigerian and South Korean companies said this week they plan Tuesday to build Africa's largest gas-to-liquid plant in Ogoni area of Rivers State, costing $5 billion, to be ready by 2016. The LPG processing plant will be in Oguta in Imo state.
The agreement is between Nigeria's Drake Oil Ltd of and South Korea's SK Engineering and Construction Group, Abuja's Daily Trust newspaper reported Wednesday.
"We are talking about $5 billion for the gas to liquid project, which will be bigger than any refinery in Nigeria," said Drake Oil Ltd Executive Chairman Sam Dede.
He said it would take 3-4 years to complete construction.
"As we speak now, Drake has about 500,000 cubic feet of gas allocated to it by the federal government," Dede said. "You are aware that we have been in the forefront of stopping gas flaring in Nigeria and that is contained in our MoU with the NNPC, which we signed in 1994 and have been working on together to achieve."
South Korea's SK Engineering and Construction Group Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman Yoon Suk-kyung said his firm decided to invest in Nigeria because of the nation's great potential.
"I believe there are many areas for us to utilize our technology and experience," Yoon said. "We are not just here to sign the MoU for mere documentation but we need action."
SK Group is engaged exploration and production activities in 27 oilfields in 15 countries.
Abuja is moving toward reasserting its control over foreign joint ventures, providing opportunities for Nigerian companies, which could create difficulties for the new SK venture.
Ernest Nwakpa, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Monitoring and Development Board, said conditions encouraging both indigenous and foreign companies would be subject to the fulfillment of conditions as may be specified by the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
"In the bidding for any license, permit or interest, and before carrying out any project in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, an operator shall submit a Nigerian Content Plan to the board, demonstrating compliance with the Nigerian content requirements of this (the Nigerian Content) Act," he said.
The legislation requires multinational companies to domicile a proportion of their assets in Nigeria in order to promote indigenous ownership of equipment while mandating the development of local capacities.
3 million bees found in Miami home
A Miami beekeeper said he removed the second largest hive he has encountered in his 20-year career -- about 3 million bees -- from a home. Beekeeper Adrian Valero said he was called to remove the hive after three people in the area were stung by the bees, which residents of the house said had been around for about a year, WSVN-TV, Miami, reported Wednesday.
Valero said it was not surprising that the bees had stung locals.
"These are Italian bees," he said. "They are a little bit aggressive if you bother them too much."
The beekeeper said the hive, which was large enough to produce 60 pounds of honey, was moved to a bee farm far from the neighborhood
Man charged in penis 'puppet' incident
Police in Washington state said a suspect used his genitals as a puppet while standing over an air conditioner intake at an apartment complex. The police report of the incident said Timothy Wayne Martin, 44, of Auburn, Wash., was arrested after residents of the Arcadia Apartment Complex in Federal Way called police at about 10:30 a.m. May 13 and reported a man standing over an air conditioner intake wearing only an unbuttoned flannel shirt and "was apparently manipulating" his penis with a string "like a puppet," Seattlepi.com reported Thursday.
Police said Martin was arrested at the scene and still had the string attached to his penis. He was charged under the state's felony indecent exposure statute due to having two prior convictions for similar crimes.
Martin was also in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine at the time of his arrest. Police said he also had a pornographic magazine.
The suspect was taken to the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in lieu of $25,000 bail.
