Ukraine’s Fuel Minister Stavitsky, Ukraine’s President Yanukovich, Netherlands’ Prime Minister Rutte and Voser CEO of Royal Dutch Shell shake hands after exchanging a signed agreement at WEF in Davos, January 24, 2013.

Ukraine has furthered its attempt to decrease its dependence on natural gas from Russia by signing a new deal with Royal Dutch Shell for the energy company to explore on the eastern edge of the country, according to Voice of America (VOA).

A $10 billion, 50-year shale gas exploration deal was signed with the company at the World Economic Forum on January 24 in Switzerland.

A joint scholarship scheme (“TQJS”) titled TEPNG/ Quai d’Orsay, has been established between Total and the Embassy of France in Nigeria. Under the new programme, five Nigerians are to benefit from an annual scholarship sponsored by Total in collaboration with the French Embassy in Nigeria with effect from the 2012/2013 academic year.

The agreement to formalize the programme was signed at the French Embassy, Abuja on Wednesday, December 19, 2012, between Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) and the Embassy. The Managing Director/Chief Executive of TEPNG, Mr Guy Maurice signed for Total while H.E. the Ambassador of France, Jacques Champagne de Labriolle signed for the Embassy of France in Nigeria.

The United States and Nigeria are teaming up to develop the African country’s offshore oil and gas industry. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced December 31, 2012 that it would be providing a grant to Nigeria that will be used to develop an electronic management platform which provides 24-hour support to offshore operations such as loading and unloading ships, cargo and equipment.

Global demand for fuel additives will increase 4.7%/year to 26.5 million tonnes in 2016, with demand in value terms advancing 8%/year to $59.4 billion. Total fuel-additive demand in volume terms is heavily dominated by gasoline oxygenates, such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). In 2011, ether oxygenates accounted for 94% of total demand.

These and other trends are presented a new study marketed by the Freedonia Group Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

Excluding oxygenates, the study says, global demand for specialty fuel additives will expand 3.6%/year to 1.5 million tonnes in 2016. The rapidly expanding fuel market in China will affect the growth of fuel additives, particularly as China’s fuel standards become stricter and additive treat rates rise.

The recent power agreement signing between Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) and General Electric (GE) is raising critical questions in the critical power sector in Nigeria. Will this partnership finally transform the power sector or will it become yet another pipe dream in the nation’s long quest for uninterrupted power supply?

GE, a global leader in the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of technology and services for the power sector, was emphatic on its commitment to the generation of 10,000MW of power in Nigeria in coming 10 years in obedience to the March 2012 agreement with the Federal Government.

When looking at the global energy scene, it is important to consider where we are today, where we might be going, and how we might get there. For OPEC, this is laid out every year in its World Oil Outlook.
The most recent version of this was published at the end of 2011. In its Reference Case, energy demand increases by more than 50% between 2010 and 2035. And over the same timeframe, world population is expected to expand from 6.9 billion to almost 8.6 billion.