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Gas Market

Greece said on Tuesday it had put the finishing touches on legislation to open to competition the country’s 1.5-billion-euro ($2.03 billion) natural gas market. The Energy Ministry said it had signed into law a batch of rules that clarify licensing and other technical issues.

Hu Jintao to Attend Nuclear Summit in Boost to Obama

China’s President Hu Jintao will attend a nuclear summit in Washington this month in a boost to the Obama administration’s efforts to combat the spread of bomb- making materials.

Solar PV Sector Reports Record Growth in 2009

The global solar photovoltaic industry experienced strong growth in 2009, adding a record 6.4 gigawatts of new capacity despite the global downturn, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) said on Monday (30 March).

Iran Negotiator To Hold Nuclear Talks With China

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, will visit China Thursday to discuss the Islamic republic's nuclear issue with Beijing, which has resisted new sanctions against Tehran.

Cnooc 2009 Net Profit Down 34 per cent, Targets Output Boost

Cnooc Ltd. (CEO), China's biggest offshore oil and gas producer by output, on Wednesday posted a 34% fall in 2009 net profit due to lower crude oil prices and higher operating costs, but said it expects its net profit this year to be boosted by increased production and higher energy prices as domestic demand recovers.

Bulgaria Adopts Urgent Anti-crisis Measures To Curb Deficit

Bulgaria's government adopted Wednesday a package of 60 anticrisis measures in a move to curb its ever widening budget deficit. The measures aim to cut spending and boost revenues in order to add another 1.6 billion leva (EUR818 million) to the budget, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov told journalists before the cabinet meeting that approved the package.

Total To Extract 300 Mln Barrels Of Oil In Republic Of Congo

French oil giant Total SA (TOT) is preparing an exploration project that will allow it to extract up to 300 million barrels of oil in the Republic of Congo, its Africa director said Wednesday.

TNK-BP To Triple 2010 Exploration Investments To $400 Mln

Iraq To Hit Only Half 12M B/D Oil Output Target -CERA

Iraq is only likely to achieve around half its target of growing oil production to 12 million barrels a day in the next six or seven years, Cambridge Energy Research Associates, which is part of energy consultancy IHS, said Wednesday.

Despite Profit, PPC Shares Fall

State-controlled power company Public Power Corporation (PPC) showed lower-than-expected profits for 2009 after it took a write-down on its property and recession hurt its clients.

Bulgaria is Among the Top Investment Destinations in Southeast Europe

According to 54% of the companies, our country will attract more foreign capital over the next 3 years Bulgaria ranked third among countries in Southeast Europe in terms of attracting foreign direct investments (FDI), showed a survey of the U.S. Ernst & Young company, conducted among 203 executives of multinational companies in late 2009.

Austrian Utility EVN To Invest 51.1 Mln Euro in Cogeneration Unit in Bulgaria

Austrian power utility EVN will invest some 100 million levs ($69.7 million/51.1 million euro) in a new cogeneration unit in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv.

Russia, IAEA Agree To Establish World's First Nuclear Fuel Bank

Russia has signed a deal with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to set up the world's first nuclear fuel bank of low-enriched uranium for countries that need fuel for civilian purposes, including nuclear power plants.