Energy Bangla

Global mining giant BHP Billiton today said its first-half net profit almost halved to US$4.26 billion on the back of collapsing commodity prices as it reiterated a plan to spin off non-core assets. The 47.4 percent slump in the six months to December 31 compared to US$8.1 billion in the previous corresponding period, with revenues dropping 11.9 percent to US$29.9 billion. Underlying earnings-which exclude one-off writedowns-were down 31 percent to... »

This New Year, an old trend may become a new trend as conventional drilling in North America is once again in the spotlight at a time when oil prices continue their slump and the unconventional becomes increasingly uneconomical. Advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking for extraction is much more expensive than conventional drilling. While these high-cost methods are the technology that ushered in the North American shale boom, in times... »

The oil and gas boom in the United States was made possible by the extensive credit afforded to drillers. Not only has financing come from company shareholders and traditional banks, but hundreds of billions of dollars have also come from junk-bond investors looking for high returns. Junk-bond debt in energy has reached $210 billion, which is about 16 percent of the $1.3 trillion junk-bond market. That is a dramatic rise... »

What does it take to build up a new region for oil and gas development? Obviously, the resources have to be in place and economically recoverable. But it is not as easy as just sticking a drill into the ground and pumping out oil and gas. Even with significant oil and gas reserves trapped in shale, a variety of factors need to come together to turn a given region into... »

THERE is a large family of well-meaning clichés roaming free throughout Bangladesh espousing the need to protect children in different ways. “The children are our future”, they scream loudly, but largely they’re all ignored. Children’s rights are still an illusion. Take corporal punishment for example. On January 13, 2011, Bangladesh High Court justices Md. Imman Ali and Sheikh Hassan Arif outlawed the barbaric evil practice. The wise Bangladeshi patriots declared... »

The 10 Biggest Energy Company BankruptciesBy Andrew Topf: Running a multi-billion dollar energy company isn’t easy. Just ask the executives in the corner suites of some of the energy companies that have gone bust over the years. Some, like Enron, were brought down because of insider malfeasance. A few, like ATP, blamed damaging government policies, while others went off the rails due to market forces that left the company and... »

Kabir Uddin: Bangladesh has sustained an impressive track record for growth and development and has shown tremendous growth in recent years. In the past decade, the economy has grown at nearly 6 percent per annum despite frequent natural disasters and the fuel, food price and global financial crises. A booming economic growth, urbanization and rapid industrialization and development has increased the country’s demand for electricity. Considering regular amplified demand present... »

By Anu Muhammed: Every year since 2006, people of Bangladesh observe the 26th of August as ‘Phulbari Day’. This is a day to remember people’s resistance against an open pit mining project proposed by Asia Energy; to celebrate people’s power and people’s resistance against plunder and destruction; a challenge against anti-people ‘development’ paradigm to assert new direction for peoples’ sustained welfare and development. The Project: From BHP to Asia Energy... »

Nabamita Momtaz: Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It is crucial to organizational performance. Recruitment is a critical activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are increasingly involved in the selection process. All those involved in recruitment activities should be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills. Effective recruitment strategies are a pivotal... »

By Robert Bensh: Ukraine’s next crisis will be a devastatingly economic one, as violent conflict destroys critical infrastructure in the east and brings key industry to a halt, furthering weakening the energy sector by crippling coal-based electricity production. The Ukrainian military’s showdown with separatists in the industrial east has forced coal mines to severely cut production or close down entirely. This has led to an electricity crisis that can only... »