Extractive industries
PTTEP freezes new investment in Indonesia
PTT Exploration and Production, Thailand’s state-owned oil and gas company, said on Tuesday that it will halt all new investments in Indonesia until a dispute with the government there over an oil spill in 2009 is settled. “As of today, PTTEP made the decision to suspend ...
Coal miners owe the Indonesian government hundreds of millions of dollars
Indonesia is now one of the world’s largest exporters of coal, an industry that contributes around four percent of the country’s gross domestic product mostly through exports to China and India. Despite its massive size, however, observers are concerned that the sector’s actual contribution to ...
15 mining projects see concessions revoked
Fifteen mining operations have had their concessions revoked after investors failed to implement their projects as agreed after they were granted concessions by the government. Speaking at the ongoing ordinary session of the National Assembly last week, Minister of Energy and Mines Dr Khammany Inthirath ...
Four mining licences put up for bids
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has publicly announced that companies can bid for four mining exploration permits in both Kratie and Kampot provinces, marking the first time since the ministry was formed in 2013 to issue fresh licences for private companies to investigate mineral ...
Will Vietnam become a scrap steel power?
Vietnamese steel manufacturers are importing more and more scrap steel for domestic production, as this is the easiest and most profitable way to make steel. According to Bui Van Muu from the Metallurgy and Material Technology Faculty of the Hanoi University of Technology, the steel production ...
Ground broken for oil refinery
After years of delays and setbacks, the Cambodian firm set to operate the Kingdom’s landmark oil refinery finally broke ground on May 4 on a $1.62 billion project with an updated completion date set for the middle of 2019. The oil refinery, which will be built ...
Give back our alabaster mining sites: residents
Sakyin area residents in Madaya township, Mandalay Region, have urged the government to award more locals, and not companies, with permits for alabaster production. This would create more job opportunities for locals in the district, they said. Resident U Aung Htoo said the mining sites were ...
Start-up for refinery construction
Construction of phase one of a landmark $3 billion oil refining plant kicks off today in Sihanoukville province, after many delays since the company announced plans in December 2012. Cambodian Petrochemical Company (CPC) formed a joint venture with China Perfect Machinery Industry Corp (Sinomach) for ...
Inquiry afoot after sand shipping video goes viral
The Ministry of Mines and Energy on May 2 said it was investigating potential irregularities in the export of sand after a video from the NGO Mother Nature claiming that banned exports continued unabated went viral yesterday, racking up hundreds of thousands of “likes”. While the ...
Trouble brewing after giant jade rock seized and deemed state property
Tensions are rising between gem scavengers and the Taut Pa Kye Company in Hpakant township, Kachin State, after a huge jadeite found by scavengers was confiscated as it was said to be state-owned property. After the jadeite was discovered in the Taut Pa Kye Company work ...