Energy & Resources

Shaanxi-based SOE energy producers at loggerheads over drilling rights

Mar 2, 2018 (WiC 399)

After overthrowing the Ming Dynasty in the seventeenth century, the new Manchurian rulers seized large amounts of land around Beijing for nobles and soldiers from their Eight Banners army. Aside from being a means to reward their military ...

How the latest scandals from Japan could benefit China Inc

Nov 3, 2017 (WiC 386)

One of Japan Inc’s greatest admirers was Deng Xiaoping. On visiting a Nissan car plant in 1978, China’s then leader marvelled at the high level of automation, which meant one worker could produce 94 cars, whereas China’s First Auto Works ...

Shandong’s ‘teapots’ are trying to team up

Oct 27, 2017 (WiC 385)

A Chinese proverb predicts that “Like tea, a true warrior shows his strength in hot water”. It’s a folksy reminder too for China’s 31 independent refiners, known locally as ‘teapots’ because of their small size compared to the four ...

China’s most mysterious oil baron is striking some stunning deals

Sep 22, 2017 (WiC 381)

The prices of commodities tend to be more volatile than those of other major asset classes. Moreover, institutional investors have to put up with a variety of market players that are huge but often relatively inscrutable. Take Glencore. The ...

China steps up shale gas industry’s development

Sep 15, 2017 (WiC 380)

It has a long way to go before it rivals the US, but China is starting to ramp up its shale gas production after a number of false starts. Last month, the government executed its first public auction of a shale gas block with proven reserves ...

Citic threatens to shut its Australian iron ore mine over legal rows

Sep 15, 2017 (WiC 380)

Citic Group owns Australia’s largest magnetite mine, producing the kind of higher-grade ores (62% Fe and above), which Chinese steel producers increasingly need to meet the government’s tougher environmental standards. Indeed, the lower ...

China’s energy sector set for a shake-up after Shenhua-Guodian move

Sep 8, 2017 (WiC 379)

In the 1990s the coalmining industry was one of the least compelling sectors in China. The bargaining power of its miners was so weak that they had to prepay the transportation costs of many of their customers. Some even resorted to building ...

Sha Steel to take over debt-ridden state rival

Jul 21, 2017 (WiC 375)

The timing could hardly have been worse. Just days before it was due to begin trade and investment talks with the US as part of the two countries’ newly-formed Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, Beijing announced record steel production occurred ...

Why a California mine has put Trump’s China policy to the test

Jul 7, 2017 (WiC 373)

“The Middle East has oil, while China has rare earth.” We first cited that Deng Xiaoping quote in April 2009, and we suspect that for many readers at the time the significance of these metallic elements – essential for the manufacture of ...

Chinese bid for Australian coal asset challenged by rival Glencore offer

Jun 23, 2017 (WiC 371)

The commodities giant Glencore has been described in many ways in its time, not least as clandestine, controversial and filthy rich. But one identifier that Glencore’s boss Ivan Glasenberg won’t have heard before is a comparison to a sixth ...