Archive for ‘Natural resources’

08/05/2012

* China’s first deep-water rig to drill in South China Sea

Xinhua: “The first deep-water drilling rig developed in China will be put into service in

 the South China Sea on Wednesday, the countrys largest offshore oil producer said Monday.

The sixth-generation semi-submersible CNOOC 981 will begin operations in a sea area 320 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong at a water depth of 1,500 meters, China National Offshore Oil Corp. It will be the first independent deep-water oil drilling by a Chinese company, marking “a substantial step” made by the country’s deep-sea oil industry, CNOOC said. About 70 percent of oil and gas reserves in the resource-rich South China Sea is contained in 1.54 million square km of deep-water regions, or sea areas with depths of over 300 meters. However, most of China’s current offshore oil exploration is conducted less than 300 meters below the surface.

The South China Sea is estimated to have 23 billion to 30 billion tonnes of oil and 16 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, accounting for one-third of Chinas total oil and gas resources.”

via Chinas first deep-water rig to drill in South China Sea – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

Another instance of China continuing to reduce reliance on Western hi-tech.
 
Related post:
21/04/2012

* China’s Premier in Iceland, eyes on Arctic riches

extract from Reuters: “China signed accords on energy cooperation and the Arctic in Iceland on Friday as Premier Wen Jiabao started a tour of northern Europe that will focus on Chinese investment in a continent eager for funds and to trade with the rising world power.

Centrepiece of the trip will be a visit to Germany, where Wen and Chancellor Angela Merkel will on Sunday and Monday burnish industrial ties that have done much for both economies. That the prime minister of the world’s most populous nation should stop first, however, on a remote island of just 320,000 has raised hopes for an injection of Chinese cash into an economy ravaged by the bursting of a financial bubble in 2008 – but also suspicion of Beijing’s hunger for natural resources. …

Over two days, Wen, who trained as a geologist, will see volcanic geysers and electricity plants where Iceland captures geothermal energy. Friday’s meetings between Wen and Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir resulted in agreements to cooperate in the Arctic region, in marine and polar science and in geothermal energy. Orka Energy Ltd – an Icelandic firm focused on producing geothermal energy – and China’s Sinopec Group also signed a deal to develop geothermal energy in China for heating houses and the production of electricity, though no figures were provided. …

But by starting with a full-scale visit to Iceland, Wen has fuelled European concern that China might be trying to exploit the country’s economic troubles to gain a strategic foothold in the North Atlantic and Arctic region. The area has big reserves of oil, gas, gold, diamonds, zinc and iron. And with global warming melting polar ice, it may offer world powers new shipping routes – and naval interests – for the trade between Asia, Europe and America’s east coast. “When it comes to the Arctic, we always have China on our mind,” said one European diplomat from the Nordic region, who spoke to Reuters this week on condition of anonymity.

But conspiracy theories over why such an Asian giant would be interested in such a small nation abound. “Given Chinas investment pattern around the globe, people have asked questions. Why are doing this? Is there some ulterior motive?” said Embla Eir Oddsdottir at the Stefansson Arctic Institute. “For next decade they are going to be battling some sort of suspicion as to their motive, because people have a tendency to link them to some type of regime.” …”

via UPDATE 3-Chinas Wen in Iceland, eyes on Arctic riches | Reuters.

Why the suspicion and conspiracy theory?  China has been wooing all sorts of countries in the recent past – see posts:

https://chindia-alert.org/2012/04/16/us-alert-as-chinas-cash-buys-inroads-in-caribbean/

https://chindia-alert.org/2012/12/31/question-who-did-china-woo-in-2012/

https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/geopolitics-chinese/

It is part of China’s geopolitical plan to be friends wioth everyone – without prejudice to religion, race, politics, etc!

02/04/2012

* Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea

China Daily: “China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should work hard to boost practical cooperation and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a joint statement due to be issued on Monday by China and Cambodia. According to the statement, the two countries agreed that “China and ASEAN countries shall continue to abide by the purpose and spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and give full play to all the existing mechanisms including the guidelines for the implementation of the DOC to make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation for China and ASEAN countries”.

Monday is the final day of President Hu Jintao’s four-day state visit to Cambodia, which holds the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2012 and plays an important role in East Asian cooperation and China-ASEAN relations. It also comes just two days ahead of a two-day regional summit of ASEAN in Phnom Penh.”

via Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn.

Given the increasing tension in the South China Seas due to conflicting oceanic territoriual claims, where large depositis of oil and gas are predicted, this must be good news.

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