China is considering halting efforts to make oil from coal due to concerns about the expense, how much energy it uses and the effect on climate change. China had been hoping to ease its rising dependence on imported oil by promoting alternative energy sources such as oil-from-coal and solar, wind, and nuclear power.
China
China Puts Economy First
In China’s first national plan on climate change, it says its first and overriding priority in tackling climate change is to maintain economic development. The report says that China will cut greenhouse gas emissions by using more wind, nuclear and hydro power, and by making coal-fired plants more efficient.
China To Move on Climate
The Chinese Government is close to dropping tariffs on technologies that increase energy efficiency and decrease pollution in what would be the country’s biggest move towards tackling global warming. Wu Yi, the Chinese Vice-Premier, is in advanced talks about energy tariffs with Henry Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary, as part of trade negotiations between the … Read More
Sudan Cautions China Over Oil Investments
A Sudanese central bank official has warned China that oil investments could exacerbate conflicts in Sudan unless it pressed the government to engage local populations and share revenues. He also draw parallels with the conflict in the Niger Delta. China, which buys much of Sudan’s oil, has been under fire internationally for doing business with … Read More
China‘s Crude Imports Rise to Record Levels
China‘s crude oil imports rose 23 per cent in April from a year ago to a record monthly high according to a report by the Chinese General Administration of Customs. Imports in April totalled 14.8 million tonnes, or an average of 3.62 million barrels a day, the report showed. Imports for the January to April … Read More
China Finds an Elephant
China has made its largest oil find in more than three decades, an offshore field with proven reserves of nearly 3 billion barrels, which should provide temporary relief from rising consumption and ease fears of energy insecurity. The discovery in Bohai Bay off Hebei province in northern China, which PetroChina described Thursday evening as a … Read More
China to Overtake US Emissions
China is set to overtake the US as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases within months, experts are predicting. Previously expected to occur in 2009 or 2010, the historic event could now happen as early as November. But this event pales into insignificance if China takes no action to improve emissions. Within twenty five … Read More
Massacre at Chinese Oilfield in Ethiopia
Africa and oil is often a deadly and violent mix and if the Chinese thought they would escape being targeted then they will have to think again. This time the turmoil is in the East of the continent in Ethiopia. Somali rebels from the Ogaden National Liberation front have killed seventy-four workers at a Chinese … Read More
China Finds an “Elephant”
After a decade-long search for oil from central Asian deserts to the floors of the Pacific, PetroChina has found an offshore field in Bohai Bay that could become China’s biggest new domestic petroleum source for years, with reserves of 2.2 billion barrels. The scale of the find, if confirmed, would be welcome news to the … Read More
China May Lead Iraq Oil Race
China may have sat out the Iraq war, but that does not stop it eyeing up the spoils of war. Desperate to find it new sources of oil to fuel its growing economy, it could be the first country to take advantage of Iraqi’s new controversial Oil Law. The Iraqi oil law will open the … Read More