For more than half a century, scientists have been trying to recreate controlled solar energy on Earth. Theoretically, understanding the fusion of two hydrogen atoms to form a helium atom has long since ceased to pose any difficulties. However, the extreme conditions under which natural nuclear fusion takes place in the interior of our central star have so far prevented its practical application for electrical energy production. At about 15 million degrees Celsius, high thermal energy causes hydrogen atoms to collide so strongly that they fuse to form helium. Can such fusion also be initiated ..read more

Swedish oil and gas company Maha Energy has commenced production test on Block 70, located in the oil-producing Ghaba Salt Basin in the central part of the Sultanate of Oman. The production test, which starts with the Mafraq-9 well, will include all eight new production wells under this year’s drilling programme. Maha Energy said that a new well will be added to the test every two weeks until all new wells are connected to the testing system. Each well will be completed with PCP (progressing cavity pumping) pumps before being placed on the test. The company intends to transport the oil produce ..read more

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is proceeding with Phase II of the review regarding the province’s current offshore oil and gas interests. Specific focus will be on its 4.9 per cent equity position in Hebron, 8.7 per cent equity position in the Hibernia Southern Extension, and five per cent equity position in White Rose Extension project. Government received the initial (Phase I) report by Rothschild & Co. in spring 2022. While Phase I was about studying transaction options and valuations, Phase II is about taking the deep dive required to understand and verify every aspect of ..read more

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) today in a virtual mode. The foundation stone for the construction of this pipeline was laid by both Prime Ministers in September 2018. Numaligarh Refinery Limited has been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours. Cooperation in the power and energy sector has become one of the hallmarks of India-Bangladesh relations.  IBFP is the first cross bord ..read more

ACEN, the listed energy platform of the Ayala group, through its joint-venture company, UPC Power Solutions LLC, signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with GlidePath for the acquisition of a portfolio of eight operating wind projects located in northern Texas, USA. The latest milestone marks ACEN’s anticipated entry to the fast-growing US renewables market as it expands its geographic footprint beyond the Asia Pacific region. Announced in April 2022, ACEN, through its subsidiary ACEN USA LLC, formed a strategic partnership with Pivot Power Management (PivotGen) and UPC ..read more

SEG Solar (SEG) announced that it has closed on the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, USA, capable of producing more than 2GW of photovoltaic (PV) modules annually. The plant consists of approximately 145,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space and 16,000 square feet of office space. The facility will be equipped with three state-of-the-art production lines that will allow SEG to produce both TOPCON and high-efficiency N type PV modules with 182mm or 210mm solar cells. SEG intends to source some components for the modules produced at the factory from ..read more

Jan De Nul Group has officially started the execution of the transport and installation (T&I) contract for the construction of Ørsted’s 242MW Gode Wind 3 and the 900MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind projects in Germany. Both companies signed the final T&I contract for the German offshore wind projects in October 2021. Under the contract, Jan De Nul will transport and install 106 wind turbine monopile foundations as well as one offshore substation foundation, including the associated topside. According to the company, the first batch of three monopile foundations has departed Steelwin ..read more

JGC and Hyundai Engineering & Construction have bagged the Papua LNG project downstream front end engineering design (FEED) contract from ExxonMobil on behalf of its venture partners. The FEED and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) estimation contract is for the downstream liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities of the midstream project to be developed in Papua New Guinea. JGC handles the overseas engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) business of Japanese engineering company JGC Group. The Papua LNG project will have an LNG liquefaction capacity of around four milli ..read more

South Africa-based Gold Fields and AngloGold Ashanti have formed a joint venture for Gold Fields’ Tarkwa and AngloGold Ashanti’s neighbouring Iduapriem mines in Ghana. Gold Fields currently owns 90% of the Tarkwa Mine, through its subsidiary Gold Fields Ghana, while the Government of Ghana (GoG) holds the remaining 10% stake. AngloGold Ashanti fully owns the Iduapriem Mine. Both mines are located near the town of Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana. The two companies ruled out a full-scale merger and agreed to combine their neighbouring Tarkwa and Iduapriem operations, reported Reuters. Gold ..read more

French petroleum company TotalEnergies and Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard have signed agreements covering TotalEnergies’ retail networks in four European countries. Under the terms of the agreements, TotalEnergies will team up with Couche-Tard to jointly operate its service stations in Belgium and Luxembourg. The two companies will form a joint venture, in which TotalEnergies will own a 40% stake and Couche-Tard a 60% stake to jointly operate 619 service stations. In addition to the partnership, TotalEnergies will sell its entire network of service stations in Ger ..read more