July 29 2009
Argentina: Combustible, más caro y sin tarjeta
On a pump, where a few weeks ago hung a poster that warned about the lack of product, now there's another warning: "Diesel, cash only." Having overcome the extreme shortage that crossed most service stations during the protests by farmers, the restriction enacted in a Buenos Aires Esso station is just one example of the many obstacles that motorists can find to access fuel.
China: China's Electricity Shortage Worsens as Coal Supplies Dwindle
China, the world's second-biggest energy consumer, is facing a deepening summer power crisis that may persist into the winter months, the nation's dominant electricity distributor said.
State Grid Corp. of China, which more than 1 billion people rely on for power, said electricity shortages have worsened because of inadequate coal supplies. Forty-six percent of the power stations connected to the distributor's grid have coal stockpiles below the ``caution line,'' or seven days of consumption, data from the company showed today.
Costa Rica: Falta de fondos para comprar petróleo paraliza refinería
The Recopa refinery, located in Moín, Lemon, will be paralyzed for three weeks due to lack of money to buy oil.
The shortage of cash to pay for imports of oil forced th Costa Rican Oil Refinery (Coll) to postpone the arrival of a shipment with 295,000 barrels (a barrel is 159 liters) of crude.
India: Nalco may close down its alumina refinery due to coal shortage
India's second largest aluminium producer, National Aluminium Co (Nalco) may be forced to close down its alumina refinery in Orissa within a few days due to shortage of coal, a senior company official today said.
"Coal is a major raw material required to generate steam for running the refinery. As we are continuously facing coal shortages due to inadequate supply from Coal India, we may be forced to close down the alumina refinery in a few days from now," a company spokesperson told PTI from Bhuwaneshwar.
India: Diesel shortage may aggravate due to power crisis
Marble trader Amit Singh drove to several petrol pumps in the city wanting to top his vehicle tank on Monday. "Many had no diesel and at others they refused to give me fuel for more than Rs 500," he said.
The city seemed headed for a diesel crisis brought on by an unusual demand for the fuel.
Nigeria: Shell Suspends Export Obligations for Nigerian Bonny Crude Oil Shipments
Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe's biggest oil producer, suspended export obligations for its Bonny Light crude after a militant attack on a Nigerian pipeline yesterday.
Shell Petroleum Development Co., the company's local unit, declared so-called force majeure on Bonny crude deliveries in July, August and September at midnight, Shell spokesman Rainer Winzenried said in an e-mailed statement. Force majeure is a legal clause that allows producers to miss contracted deliveries because of circumstances beyond their control.
Pakistan: Gas fuels 5 units of Bin Qasim
Five out of six power units of Bin Qasim power plant have been running on gas, The Nation has learnt here on Monday. This leads to low pressure of gas and also the reduction of about 200 megawatts from the total of 800MW electricity generation of power plant.
Sources on condition of anonymity told The Nation that as there was an increase in oil price hike, the KESC cut the fuel production set-up and charged five units of the power plant on gas. Only one unit is currently running on fuel. Moreover Sui gas has been not able to meet the electricity and gas crisis at the Bin Qasim power plant.
Pakistan: Power shortfall 6119MW
Water and Power Development Authority has started squeezing the demand for reducing electricity frequency to put aside 700MW besides some of the IPPs managed fuel to run 5 units out of 24 closed units, sources told The Nation on Monday.
Sources said that the electricity shortfall on Monday recorded as 5,948MW after hitting the record high-level of 7,075MW owing to the forced shutdown of more than 24 units of power generation plants on Friday.
