South Africa: Guptagate – the Eskom Edition

analysis By Judith February South Africa’s state-owned enterprises are in crisis. One need only look at failures of corporate governance within South African Airways and the national broadcaster to understand how deep the rot runs. Telkom has fared marginally better with ‘below the radar’ leadership trying to fix the broken lines, metaphorically speaking. But in […]

U.S. propane inventories are at an all-time high

September 21, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. inventories of propane and propylene reached 97.7 million barrels as of September 11, the highest level in the 22 years that EIA has collected weekly propane inventory statistics. In the first six months of 2015, U.S. propane and propylene inventories were 24.3 million barrels higher on […]

South Africa: Geothermal Tech Is Expensive, but Should Still Be Part of Energy Mix

analysis By Taufeeq Dhansay, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University South Africa, the leading carbon emitter in Africa, has geothermal resources that can be used to generate electricity and reduce its carbon emissions. But, a recent study suggests that the potential cost is prohibitive, unless strong incentives are provided. South Africa is heavily dependent on coal and […]

Global solar photovoltaic manufacturing production slows in recent years

September 14, 2015 Source: International Energy Agency, Note: Values include wafer and thin-film modules. Values are presented in gigawatts direct current. Growth in solar photovoltaic (PV) module production has slowed in recent years to 4% annually from 2011 to 2013 after increasing by an average of 78% from 2006 to 2011. In addition, the gap […]

Rwanda: Kivuwatt Successfully Tests First Gas Samples

By Kenneth Agutamba The first gas samples on the KivuWatt methane to power project have been extracted and were successfully tested last night signaling a major breakthrough for the multi-million dollar venture whose creation has lasted seven years. Jarmo Gummerus, the country director of ContourGlobal, the American energy firm with a 25-year deal to produce […]

Debt service uses a rising share of U.S. onshore oil producers’ operating cash flow

September 18, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on Evaluate EnergyNote: Each quarter represents a rolling four-quarter sum. Results from second-quarter 2015 financial statements of a number of suggest continued financial strain for some companies. Low oil prices have significantly reduced cash flow for U.S. oil producers, and to adjust to lower cash flows, […]

Liberia: Sen. Karnga Against Lands & Mines Ministry for Regulator

By Fpa Reporter Monrovia — Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence (Liberty Party, Grand Bassa) has come out swinging against a controversial electricity legislation which aims to give the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy regulatory powers for the Liberia Electricity Corporation. The Senator, in a communication expected on the floor of the Senate Thursday, voiced her dissatisfaction […]

Coal use in China is slowing

September 17, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, China National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Economic deceleration, industry restructuring, and new energy and environmental policies have slowed the growth of coal consumption in China and are also driving more centralized and cleaner uses of coal. After nearly a decade of rapid growth, energy-based consumption of coal, […]

Africa: Energy – Why the Grid Isn’t Always the Answer

analysis The World Bank recently announced that between May 2014 and May 2015, Kenya’s national . The electrification of poor settlements clearly . But in most cases the electrification of poor rural settlements has yet to spur the transformational economic growth – in productivity, manufacturing and off-farm employment – that many had hoped for. Evidence […]

Recent statistical revisions suggest higher historical coal consumption in China

September 16, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, China National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)Note: Revised data from or implied by China Statistical Abstract 2015; previously reported data from China Statistical Yearbook 2014. The values for coal reflect its lower heating value. New preliminary data from the China Statistical Abstract 2015 (CSA2015) show an upward revision […]

U.S. job market and automotive sales trends support growth in gasoline use

September 15, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. have been an important factor in the increase in gasoline use so far in 2015, changes in the labor market and in the vehicle sales mix over the past few years also have contributed to the rise in gasoline use. Because more than 90% of U.S. […]

Kenya: Petrol Prices Unchanged As Diesel, Kerosene Drop

By Constant Munda USERS of kerosene and diesel got a relief yesterday after the Energy Regulatory Commission cut monthly prices by Sh5.43 and Sh3.36 a litre effective today, slightly easing the cost of living. However, Petrol prices have been retained at last month’s price as the weakening shilling wiped out benefits to the consumers despite […]

Waterjetting 37a – Removing Explosives

One of the major efforts carried out at the High Pressure Waterjet Lab at Missouri S&T during my tenure related to removing explosives and other energetic materials from different casings. The casings ranged in size from very small anti-personnel mines to the large rocket motors that carry objects into space. The first part of that […]

Egypt: Sisi Accepts Resignation of Mahlab Government, Assigns Outgoing Petroleum Minister to Form New Cabinet

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Saturday 12/09/2015 accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab. Mahlab submitted a report on the performance of his government. Meanwhile, President Sisi assigned outgoing petroleum minister Sherif Ismail to form the new Cabinet within a week. MENA

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