Energy Blast – Dec 5th, 2008

Will Ukraine face a Russian gas cut, like the one in 2006?  Putin has re-issued last year’s threats to Ukraine that Russia would cut supplies if it did not receive debt repayments, and suggested that Ukraine had ‘lost its mind‘ in requesting prices to be frozen at 2008 levels.  India and Russia have signed an agreement covering the building of four new nuclear energy reactors in southern India.  Can France hold onto its leading position in nuclear power?  Gazprom has put in a request for the government to fund $3.58 billion of investments into its electricity units in 2009.  Japan’s Nippon Oil Exploration is in talks with the Iraqi government on the construction of an oil refinery worth $5-10 billion.  Read The Economist on the proliferation of wind power, which is gaining momentum on falling technology prices.  Korea’s state-run National Oil Corp has signed a preliminary deal with Rosneft.