Six Dead After Blast at Czech Refinery
An explosion killed six people at a refinery in the Czech Republic on Thursday, rescue officials said. Two other people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, a fire department spokeswoman told Czech Television. The blast occurred at Unipetrol's plant in Kralupy nad Vltavou about 30 km (19 miles) north of Prague. "There was an explosion at the storage tank but no subsequent fire in the Kralupy refinery," Unipetrol spokesman Pavel Kaidl said. "The situation is under control and there is no other danger.
New Czech Firm to Invest in European Power
Czech energy investor Pavel Tykac has set up Seven Energy holding company to invest more than 1 billion euros mainly in European power plants fired by fossil fuels, even as many utilities shift their focus to renewables. The strategy mirrors that of Czech energy firm EPH, which has profited from buying up older plants in Germany, Britain, Italy and elsewhere in recent years. Tykac, who owns the Chvaletice power plant and coal mines in the Czech Republic…
IEA: Oil Markets will Rebalance in 2017 if Cuts Implemented
A re-balancing of world oil markets could occur in the first half of next year if production cuts by OPEC and other producers are implemented, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol said on Tuesday. Birol told a conference in Prague that higher oil prices would weaken global demand. Reporting by Robert Muller
Czech Industry Minister Hopes to Save Poland Pipeline Project
The Czech government will talk with Poland in an effort to avoid scrapping a gas pipeline meant to connect the Czech system to a Polish LNG terminal and raise supply security, Czech Industry Minister Jan Mladek said on Thursday. The planned Stork II pipeline, backed by 62.7 million euros ($69.7 million) in European Union funding, came into question when a Czech daily reported on Thursday that the Polish side may delay or back off the project.
Eustream, Gaz-System Prepare Open Season for Slovak-Polish Gas Link
Slovak gas pipeline operator Eustream and Polish group Gaz-System aim to launch an open season procedure for a planned link between the two countries in late July or the beginning of August, Eustream said on Thursday. The gas link is part of the European Union's push to diversify energy sources and routes, and it will allow Slovak firms access to a new LNG terminal in Poland. (Reporting by Robert Muller)
Czech Energy Group EPH to Float Stake in Infrastructure Unit
Czech energy company EPH is planning to sell a minority stake in its newly-created EP Infrastructure (EPIF) business on the stock market by the end of June, the company said on Tuesday. EPH has grown via acquisitions in recent years into one of central Europe's largest power companies and announced plans last year to hive off its infrastructure businesses with the intention of floating shares or selling a stake to an investor. EPIF will house EPH's assets in gas transmission…
New World Resources Maintains 2015 Production Target
Czech miner New World Resources is maintaining its 2015 coal production targets, incoming Chief Financial Officer Boudewijn Wentink said on Monday. "There is no indication (of a need) to reverse production targets," Wentink told reporters. NWR expects production to drop to 7.5-8.0 million tonnes from last year's 8.6 million. It usually mined more in the second half of the year, Wentink said. Wentink said NWR still did not have a definite solution to its Paskov mine in the north-east of the country…
Skoda JS Wins Nuclear Fuel Container Deal with CEZ
Skoda JS has won a tender worth 2.7 billion crowns ($107.99 million) to supply Czech utility CEZ's Temelin nuclear power plant with containers for spent fuel, the companies said on Monday. Skoda JS, owned by Russian heavy engineering group OMZ, will deliver the first container at the end of 2018, followed by two to six containers a year until 2035. (Reporting by Jason Hovet and Robert Muller)
Czech CEZ Less Likely to Bid for Enel's Slovak Utility
Czech energy group CEZ is less likely to buy a 66 percent stake in the main Slovak electricity producer from Italy's Enel due to opposition from the Slovak government controlling the minority, CEZ's chief executive was quoted as saying. "It is more likely that we will not bid than that we will submit one in the end. We cannot buy a stake without an agreement with the minority owner, that is with the Slovak state," Daniel Benes said in an interview published by Mlada Fronta Dnes daily paper on Saturday.
Russian Gas to Slovakia via Ukraine Remains Robust
Russian natural gas flows to Slovakia via Ukraine on Tuesday stayed well above levels seen since September, data from Slovak pipeline operator Eustream showed. Nominations for Tuesday were at 99.9 million cubic metres (mcm), down from around 101 mcm over the past three days but more than double levels of around 48 mcm seen in recent months. Eustream carries gas to Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, from producers including Russia's Gazprom.
Slovak Gas Pipeline Offers More Capacity for Shipments to Ukraine
Slovak gas pipeline operator Eustream said on Tuesday it would offer additional capacity in its new link allowing shipments from the European Union to Ukraine, raising possible deliveries by about 17 percent. Eustream said it was launching "open season" bidding process for capacity of 4.5 million cubic metres per day, in addition to about 27 mcm -- which amounts to about 10 bcm per year -- available since the pipeline was opened in September.
Kiev/Moscow Gas Deal Sign of Progress, More Details to Set
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday a gas deal struck between Ukraine and Russia was a sign of good progress, but there were still details to be worked out and interim credits had to be found. Moscow and Kiev struck a provisional gas deal over the weekend, which is expected to be finalised at meetings between officials in Brussels on Tuesday. Ukraine will pay $385 per 1000 cubic metres of gas for the winter period lasting until March 31, 2015. That is roughly in line with what most western European utilities pay Russia.
SPP: Gas Supplies Still Down 25 pct
Slovak natural gas importer SPP said it had seen an approximate 25 percent reduction in shipments of Russian gas via Ukraine compared with requested amounts on Friday. "SPP today again reports a mild drop in the gas delivery of approximately 25 percent. Despite that SPP continues to guarantee stable supplies to all our customers," it said in a statement. Lower supplies have also been reported by Poland, Romania and Austria in the past week, all at a time of a standoff between Russia and the West over the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
EU Helping Ukraine with Slovak Gasline
Slovak link could meet 20 pct of Ukraine's gas demand. Long-term EU-Ukraine flows could meet 50 pct of Ukraine's demand. Germany plays key role in supplying Ukraine. Slovakia opened a pipeline on Tuesday able to deliver natural gas from the European Union to Ukraine, marking a major step in the bloc's efforts to aid the country in its escalating dispute with Russia. Opening up so-called reverse gas flows eastward is part of the EU's…
Slovakia Opens Gasline to Ukraine
Slovakia opened a pipeline on Tuesday able to deliver gas from the European Union to Ukraine, a link that could potentially supply up to 20 percent of the nation's annual consumption as Kiev grapples with a halt of Russia supplies ahead of winter. The decision to open up so-called reverse gas flows eastward is part of the EU's response to Gazprom's decision to cut supplies to Kiev on June 16 in a row over pricing and in the wake of Moscow's annexation of Crimea.
Czech State Interested in Buying Kralupy Refinery
The Czech government is interested in buying one of the country's two oil refineries from Unipetrol, majority-owned by Poland's PKN Orlen , and combining it with state-owned oil and oil product pipeline firms, Finance Minister Andrej Babis said. PKN and the government have been in talks for months on the future shape of a refining sector hit by depressed margins. The purchase would help the government's strategic aim of keeping domestic fuel supplies and infrastructure operational and under government control.
Czech Paskov Mine Deal May Happen Next Week
The Czech government may reach an agreement next week with hard coal miner New World Resources on keeping its Paskov mine open longer, Industry Minister Jan Mladek said on Thursday. "It is very realistic that a final agreement between the state and NWR will be reached on April 22," Mladek said in a statement, adding the government could then debate the deal on April 28. The two sides are working out a deal in which the state would…
MOL's Slovnaft Scraps Dividend from 2013 Profit
Slovak crude processor Slovnaft, a unit of Hungarian oil and gas group MOL, will not pay any dividend from 2013 and will retain 8.2 million euros of net profit, it said on Thursday. Slovnaft said the retained profit will be used for large investments. The company has said earlier it would invest more than 300 million euros into production of plastics. Last year the company paid a dividend of 41.3 million euros. The annual general meeting of Slovakia's sole oil refiner also approved the possibility of a share buy-back.
