Energy Blast – March 6, 2012

Poland’s energy regulator, URE, will approve PGNiG’s new gas tariff by next week, ending a prolonged dispute.  Germany’s RWE has posted a $1.06 billion loss for 2011, blaming weak business performance and the costs of phasing out nuclear power; Reuters says the company had to sell at a loss due to European spot gas prices being so much lower than their Russian equivalent.  Tatneft is still working on a corporate program to utilise associated petroleum gas.  Chinese energy companies looking to expand abroad are facing ‘unprecedented challenges’.  European safety tests on nuclear plants will not be completed until the middle of this year, as they need to be thorough, says Gunther Oettinger.