Category: Highlights

After an extraordinary year of health and economic challenges, the global oil and gas sector has an essential role to play in the economic recovery. The same could however be said of any economic recovery and expansion over the past 100 years – during this time oil and gas companies have provided most of the primary energy that has fuelled huge economic growth. But this time does look different. The oil and gas sector will power economic recovery not just through oil and gas exploration and production, but also (and…

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Wanting more is not always bad, but it is ironic that such an important sector has not been able to undertake any major refinery upgradation and expansion all these years despite one crisis after the other (read petroleum). More recently, the sector has been waiting for the latest refinery policy that has been in the consultation and approval stage for quite some time. While a detailed draft policy must follow, many believe that the latest budget has spelled out the key nuggets from the much-awaited refinery policy. The first impression…

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That’s the consensus of a panel debating the global maritime shipping sector’s progress on what will be an expensive and complex voyage to decarbonization. And the role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in accelerating that progress was a flashpoint in the panel discussion, which was organized in mid-May by shipping industry journal Lloyd’s List. For Jacob Sterling, LNG’s role is negligible at best and counterproductive at worst. “It is borderline greenwashing to call LNG a transition fuel towards the decarbonization of shipping,” A.P. Møller-Maersk’s (CPH:MAERSK-B) head of decarbonization, innovation and…

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As temperatures rise to unseasonably warm levels across Texas this week, its citizens are being asked to use less energy on basics like cooking and washing clothes to ease strain on the state’s power grid that is struggling to generate enough electricity to cope with the high temperatures. The move triggers memories for many Texans of the cold snap in the winter that incapacitated much of the state’s power infrastructure and raises fears that Texas – and other US states – are not prepared to deal with the extreme weather…

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The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Wednesday slammed the proposed legal change that would allow the arrest of people concealing income on mere doubt by tax officers. In a statement, FPCCI leader Haji Qurban Ali said that giving the right of raid on a trader’s outlet/ office on the basis of doubt is totally immoral behaviour and it is unfair. He said there are already differences between the business community and the institutes like Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and this proposed legal change will…

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