Energy

Con un aumento del 13% en la producción de gas durante el primer semestre del 2012 y con una licitación de varios nuevos lotes de exploración prevista para finales de año, el Perú parece ir bien en su camino para convertirse en un actor con mayor importancia en el sector de gas natural de la región.

Efforts to harness Sabah’s abundance of natural resources for downstream industries look to be paying off, with figures showing that investment in the state’s manufacturing sector is rising.

As Kuwait moves to ramp up oil production, it is preparing to take advantage of rising demand in Asian markets and stable oil prices. However, there are concerns that the country could be draining off its hydrocarbons reserves quickly and spending too much on subsidies and social support schemes and not enough on investments.

Egypt benefits from a sizable supply of natural resources, including gas reserves that place it amongst the top three producers on the African continent. While a steep rise in domestic demand has increased pressure on producers, prompting a rethink in how the country uses its gas, new gas finds and temporary gas imports will help alleviate concerns.

Stepping up efforts to capitalise on its hydrocarbons wealth, Oman is boosting its downstream industrial capacity by expanding the petrochemicals sector and providing the fuel stocks needed to power other industries. However, the success of this programme still pins much of the country’s economic growth on its oil and gas resources.

As gas consumption levels reach record highs in Malaysia and across the continent, the country is positioning itself as a regional trade centre for liquefied natural gas (LNG). With a series of capital-intensive LNG investments, Malaysia will likely see a strong increase in LNG import-export volumes for some time to come. However, muted economic growth in China and India could limit the country’s ability to export its new LNG production.