China to trade gas with the west
December 12, 2007 at 12:54 pm
After Russia and Canada, China holds the largest supply of natural gas reserves. According to the China Coal Information Institute it has up to 37 trillion cubic meters of coal-bed methane. Although China is the world’s biggest consumer and also the biggest polluter of fossil fuels, it has plenty in its larder for the time being. Until recently though, all of their resources have been kept to themselves, with very few foreign investors allowed to make their way into the Chinese economy. That is all about to change though, as October of this year saw a huge alteration in the State laws.
The Chinese State Council is allowing foreign partners to join them in hunting for the miles of hidden coal-beds underground for the first time. The rule, which is known as Regulation for Joint Exploration of Onshore Oil, will mean that no longer will only one company from China itself be able to monopolise the industry.
The sheer magnitude of the trapped reserves will mean it could be some time before the rest of the world sees some of the gas from China. But the gun has been fired in what looks likely to be a billion dollar race for resources. September saw Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, striking a deal worth $45 billion, which will represent the possible annual revenue from the three million tonnes of liquefied gas. Chinese leader Hu Jintao commented on the deal, “There’s broad solid foundations and huge potential for future growth.”
Currently, the top-dog in Chinese gas mining are the China United Coal-bed Methane Corp (CUCMC) and it is expected to take quite a considerable force for them to be knocked off their mantle. They will be welcoming foreign investors soon though and will be the only route into China for the time being. Director of China Coal Information Institute, Huang Shengchu said, “The move will be a shot in the arm for coal-bed methane exploration and production in China, because it will usher in more funds and advanced technology.”
There is one little concern with all of this for China though, and that is that the actual onshore gas and oil reserves are running out. Due to having the biggest demand for fossil fuels in the world, it is expected that by 2015 the shortage of gas will be as much as 80 billion cubic meters (bcm). Is it a good idea for them to bring in the rest of the world then, or are they trying to get help to support themselves later?
Warnings of a cold winter means we should all check our boilers
December 7, 2007 at 4:55 am
It’s that time of year again. Evenings are suddenly getting darker and the temperature is suddenly getting colder. For some it’s an annoyance but for others it could be much more serious.
The charity Help the Aged and their partners British Gas have announced that they fear many people, especially those over 60, need to prepare for what is forecast as a particularly cold winter ahead. The UK Met Office has said that we can expect a much colder winter than we had last year, and so fears are that many of the more elderly members of the public will suffer from the cold due to a lack of properly maintained gas boilers and other heating and hot water systems.
In 1999, Help the Aged and British Gas partnered to help save the lives of the estimated 1.7 million elderly residents, who struggle every year with cold homes. They provide help and services to prepare people and help them through the winter months. Quite often, problems with the boiler or the heating system could be easily fixed but many elderly people either lack the information, confidence or even the help to get someone to come and check the situation.
Many energy suppliers will offer a free check to those over the age of 60, but this year we are being warned to check them whatever. A spokeswoman for Help the Aged said, “With news of a colder winter on its way, Help the Aged, in partnership with British Gas, is urging older people to act now in preparation for the unexpected cold weather. It is vital that older people do not get caught out by the cold and take measures to maintain the warmth in their homes. It is also important they know that they are not alone in preparing for the winter.”
Not being alone is a very key point. Many of the victims of the cold weather are alone and suffer from cold homes during the winter months. If this is to be a particularly cold one, then there’s no harm in making sure things are ready.
Help the Aged have set up a hotline number, where people can ring to see if they are eligible to receive a free boiler check up. That number is 0808 800 6565 (for text-phones it’s 0800 26 96 26).
The Head of Safety at British Gas, Chris Bielby, makes the point rather clearly by saying, “By ensuring your boiler is functioning properly not only will you reduce the risk of having a cold or damp home and make financial savings, you could also save your life.”
If you want to see if you can fix a minor fault that you might have with your Central Heating and Hot Water system, then check out our very useful DIY Guide to find out more. You’d be surprised how easy some of the solutions are.
Don’t be cold this winter!
