June 25 2008
Bahrain: Power cuts bring chaos
Power cuts pulled the plug on homes and businesses across Bahrain yesterday. Malfunctions in several units at the Hidd Power Plant were blamed for the blackout. Electricity and Water Authority chief executive Dr Majid Al Awadhi said the cuts affected roughly 20 per cent of the country.
India: KSEB for load - shedding
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Wednesday urged the government to allow it to impose one hour’s load-shedding across the State to help it face the crisis caused by poor rainfall during this monsoon.
India: India at an impasse over civilian nuclear deal
The nuclear agreement, which would give India access to US nuclear fuel and technology even though it has not signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, is at the heart of a new strategic partnership between India and the US.
It is opposed by the Communists who object to close ties with the US on ideological grounds and who argue that it will weaken India's foreign policy and independence.
Singh, however, believes that while the issue is hardly a vote winner, the deal is of seismic importance to India, where an energy shortage threatens to curtail economic growth.
India: Locals clash with cops over power cuts
Repeated power cuts in the city took a violent turn with locals clashing with police in Bowbazar on Tuesday afternoon.
There was a power cut in and around Bowbazar around midnight on Monday. When electricity did not return till Tuesday afternoon, local residents came out on the streets and blocked the Phears Lane-Central Avenue crossing, bringing traffic to a halt.
Nigeria: Chevron declares force majeure on Nigeria oil exports
U.S. oil major Chevron declared a force majeure on its Nigerian Escravos crude oil exports after armed youths blew up a supply pipeline last week, a company official said on Wednesday.
"There has been no impact on Chevron's offshore production and Escravos terminal is still operating," said spokeswoman Margaret Cooper.
Northern Marianas: Trying to understand the CNMI power crisis
About four or five years ago-during the second-half of the administration of former governor Juan Babauta, the CNMI began experiencing the start of what has now been a continuing power crisis. The Commonwealth Utilities Corp.-the autonomous agency charged with managing and operating the power utility-began experiencing problems, both internal and external in nature. The external problems had mostly to do with what-we-now-know as the start of what has been a continuing and unrelenting increase in the price of crude oil worldwide for at least four to five years now.
Pakistan: Govt to look into diesel shortage in 2 days
The Punjab government will conduct an inquiry and fix the responsibility for the shortage of diesel at petrol pumps within two days, Finance Minister Tanveer Ashraf Kaira said on Wednesday.
Pakistan: POL dealers claim fuel shortage
Petroleum dealers on Tuesday alleged that marketing companies have reduced supply of oil products to petrol pumps in rural parts of the country.
Naming Shell, Total and some small companies like Admore, which have cut down supply, Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said some parts of interior Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were getting less than 50 per cent of normal quantities of petrol and diesel.
