Energy Blast – Dec 28, 2010

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Alzambek Atambayev has reportedly said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that Kyrgyzstan wants to resume joint energy projects with Russia and to join the customs union formed by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.  The BBC has a video report on whether the price of oil will jump as predicted.  South Korea plans to invest $42.6 billion on power generation, including 14 nuclear power plants, by 2024.  Vietnam and Russia have reached an agreement to continue oil exploration and production cooperation in Vietnamese waters by extending the life of an oil joint venture beyond 2010.  Mexico’s state oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos, which suffered a deadly pipeline explosion a week ago, and has seen 600 thefts in its pipelines this year, will spend $45 million on pipeline maintenance.  Lithuania has apparently accused Gazprom of blackmail.