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Government won’t abandon LNG

October 3, 2012 Webmaster

THE Government says that it is withdrawing from the fuel source selection process to focus on creating a legislative and regulatory energy framework this fiscal year.

However, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell told the House of Representative yesterday that the Government has not abandoned plans to introduce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) into Jamaica by 2015.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell

He said that plans are well advanced for the introduction of LNG, but given the result of the bidding process, the Government has determined that it has taken the matter as far as it can go. He added that it was also the Government’s view that private electricity and alumina producers would have much more flexibility in procuring fuel supplies and use their international leverage to get the best possible prices.

However, “as a Government, we (will) continue to support and facilitate private investors as we work together to achieve the best possible solutions,” Paulwell said.

He stated that the LNG committee will be immediately disbanded and replaced with a body that includes members of the Jamaica Energy Council, the Office of Utilities and his ministry.

“With the termination of the work of the LNG steering committee, there will be no need to access the remaining US$2.6 million that was originally budgeted,” he explained in reference to the fact that the Government has already spent US$2.8 million of the US$5.4-million proposed budget for the LNG project.

Government won’t abandon LNG

October 3, 2012 jrobinson

THE Government says that it is withdrawing from the fuel source selection process to focus on creating a legislative and regulatory energy framework this fiscal year.

However, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell told the House of Representative yesterday that the Government has not abandoned plans to introduce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) into Jamaica by 2015.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell

He said that plans are well advanced for the introduction of LNG, but given the result of the bidding process, the Government has determined that it has taken the matter as far as it can go. He added that it was also the Government’s view that private electricity and alumina producers would have much more flexibility in procuring fuel supplies and use their international leverage to get the best possible prices.

However, “as a Government, we (will) continue to support and facilitate private investors as we work together to achieve the best possible solutions,” Paulwell said.

He stated that the LNG committee will be immediately disbanded and replaced with a body that includes members of the Jamaica Energy Council, the Office of Utilities and his ministry.

“With the termination of the work of the LNG steering committee, there will be no need to access the remaining US$2.6 million that was originally budgeted,” he explained in reference to the fact that the Government has already spent US$2.8 million of the US$5.4-million proposed budget for the LNG project.

Clarity Needed On LNG – PSOJ

October 2, 2012 jrobinson

Zacca

WITH ENERGY Minister Phillip Paulwell scheduled to address the House of Representatives today, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) says it wants him to provide clarity on the way forward for the implementation of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“We are looking for transparency and we are looking for some certainty because we feel this issue has got to be addressed in a way that the wider society buys into it and in particular, my constituency, the business sector needs to get that confidence booster out of it,” Chris Zacca, head of the PSOJ, told participants in a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the the newspaper’s central Kingston head offices yesterday.

There have been jitters in the society ever since

Government News Oil

State Cancels Oil Driller’s Licence

September 27, 2012 jrobinson

FOLLOWING THE revocation of an exploration licence, which was granted to Rainville Energy Corp, a subsidiary of Sagres Energy, to drill for oil, Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell has signalled that another company that was granted a licence could have it cancelled if they don’t begin drilling soon.

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica yesterday said the failure of Rainville to meet its financial obligations has resulted in the revocation.

Under the agreement, which dates back to 2006, Rainville should have secured the necessary funding for the second phase of the programme which began in May 2012.

Among other things, this phase involved the drilling of an exploratory well by November 2013.

Paulwell told

Government JPS LNG News Oil

Opposition concerned over gov’t plans to abandon LNG

September 25, 2012 Webmaster

Opposition Spokesman for Industry, Commerce and Energy, Gregory Mair says he’s seriously concerned with reports that the government has abandoned plans to introduce Liquefied Natural Gas.

In a statement today, Mr. Mair said Energy Minister, Phillip Paulwell needs to address the country forthwith on what he calls a disturbing development and state clearly the government

Government JPS LNG News Oil

Opposition concerned over gov’t plans to abandon LNG

September 25, 2012 jrobinson

Opposition Spokesman for Industry, Commerce and Energy, Gregory Mair says he’s seriously concerned with reports that the government has abandoned plans to introduce Liquefied Natural Gas.

In a statement today, Mr. Mair said Energy Minister, Phillip Paulwell needs to address the country forthwith on what he calls a disturbing development and state clearly the government

Government JPS LNG News Oil

Scrapped LNG plans worry private sector

September 24, 2012 Webmaster

Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

Plans by the Government to scrap the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which was part of measures to diversify the country’s energy mix and cut electricity cost, are threatening to throw the business sector into disarray.

Yesterday, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Christopher Zacca, noting that the introduction of LNG was backed by his organisation, said there was now “concern” over the report carried in The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

As such, Zacca said, he would be calling a meeting of the PSOJ energy committee in short order to have discussions on the matter.

The Sunday Gleaner indicated that Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell is scheduled to announce next month the intention of the Government to do away with the project.

Gleaner sources say the Government is likely to revert to plans B and C, which will see the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) being allowed to establish the LNG infrastructure and source the gas for the multibillion-dollar plant it plans to construct in Old Harbour, St Catherine.

Trouble for sector

Opposition Spokesperson on Energy Gregory Mair, when contacted yesterday, said the report spells trouble for the country’s energy sector.

“This matter that we have been stuck with heavy fuel oil is not good news at all,” he said before chiding the Government for its handling of the project.

“I don’t know what went wrong but the bottom line is that it was going to be the private sector that was going to be funding the entire LNG project and I think they just messed up the whole thing,” Mair said.

In the meantime, yesterday, president and CEO of JPS, Kelly Tomblin, said her company intends to go ahead with plans to build its multibillion-dollar plant in Old Harbour, St Catherine, but added that the shape of the development would be dependent on how the Government now intends to participate in the project.

She added that she was looking forward to meeting with Paulwell in the coming week to discuss the way forward.

The Gleaner understands that Paulwell is currently off the island and is expected to return tomorrow.

nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com

Read more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120924/lead/lead6.html

Government JPS LNG News

Smell Of Death Hits LNG Idea

September 10, 2012 Webmaster

Paulwell

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

There are clear indications that the long-proposed introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Jamaica’s energy mix could be abandoned.

It now seems certain that with the current price of LNG, the Government will not achieve the expected 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the cost of electricity to the Jamaican consumer, and that could lead to the death of the project which was first put on the table more than 10 years ago.

Last month, the head of the LNG Steering Committee, Dr Carlton Davis, told a

Government News Oil

Gov

September 5, 2012 Webmaster

A Texaco gas station – file photo.

Debbie-Ann Wright, News Editor
The Gleaner/Power106 News Centre

The Energy Ministry is looking to overhaul the licensing and registration process for gas stations as it seeks to address competitiveness in the sector.

In recent weeks, gasoline retailers have been complaining of dwindling profits with some gas stations even being forced to close.

In a release yesterday, the energy ministry stated that the number of service stations and their proximity to each other was contributing to the low margins.

It said currently the service stations are licensed by the Resident Magistrate Courts and not by the Ministry.

Energy minister Paulwell said a one-stop-shop for licensing and registration of sector participants being worked on by the government will help to resolve this problem.

President of the Jamaica gasoline Retailers

Government News Oil

Paulwell says

September 5, 2012 jrobinson

Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell has dismissed reports of