Commodities

Gazprom is aiming to follow up on its Power of Siberia pipeline, switched on in December, with an even bigger project.
Commodities

Coronavirus gives Russia-China gas pipeline plan a burst of energy

Beijing-Washington rift helps Moscow make case for Power of Siberia sequel

27 May 2020
Interstellar Technologies aims to deploy the Zero, a satellite launch vehicle to be powered by natural gas, in 2023. (Image provided by Interstellar Technologies)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

LNG-powered rocket offers boost to Japan's private space industry

Interstellar targets cheaper, greener fuel to lift private sector's role

27 May 2020
The roads in Wuhan are again filled with cars after the lockdown was lifted on April 14. 
Energy

Chinese oil demand on recovery track, pushing prices higher

But global outlook remains bleak as lockdowns and travel bans stay in place

24 May 2020
Pump jacks in Texas: crude oil will remain an important avenue for diversification of investment portfolios.
Opinion

Negative oil price teaches mom-and-pop investors a costly lesson

Betting on crude is much more complicated than on companies

21 May 2020
Muhyiddin Yassin gestures after his cabinet announcement on Mar. 9: during the jockeying, the opportunity costs add up.
Opinion

Malaysia must stop political squabbling and boost economic stimulus

Muhyiddin Yassin is wasting valuable time because he does not want to be ousted

21 May 2020
With coffee plantations, slick cafe outlets and eco-resorts, V.G. Siddhartha was the picture of a successful entrepreneur -- until his sudden death in 2019 revealed a tangled web of politics and debt. (© Illustration by Michael Tsang)
The Big Story

Death of the coffee king: power and money in corporate India

V.G. Siddhartha's death exposed a spiral of debt and political connections gone bad

20 May 2020
With Chinese and European clients canceling orders across the board for processed cashmere, Khatant International Chief Executive Bayarmaa Byambaa has idled her factory in Emeelt, Mongolia. (Photo by Anand Tumurtogoo)
Commodities

Cashmere piles up in Mongolia as coronavirus cripples trading

Herders fret over debts with prices two-thirds lower than 2019

17 May 2020
A liquefied natural gas receiving terminal and power plant in Chiba, Japan.
Energy

Coronavirus curbs LNG demand in China, Japan and South Korea

China gas imports to grow just 1.8% this year, while Japan's will fall by 1.2%

6 May 2020
The launch ceremony of Shanghai crude oil futures at INE on March 26, 2018: when opportunity knocked, China was not ready.
Opinion

China missed its moment to shine in oil trading

When Texas crude prices went negative, Shanghai's risk-bound market froze

6 May 2020
Red palm oil extract bottles are displayed at Sime Darby Palm Oil Experience Centre in Pulau Carey, Malaysia. The country is the world's second biggest producer of palm oil. 
Commodities

Malaysia slams WHO for advising against palm oil use

World's No. 2 producer says agency should come up with new ideas for COVID-19

5 May 2020
One of the world's top private oil traders, the collapse of Hin Leong is one of the largest trading failures in Singapore history.
Commodities

Hin Leong scandal adds tarnish to fading Singapore brand

Disgraced oil trader covered up $800m in losses

4 May 2020
A Chinese worker talks to his colleague at an oil production facility in Sudan in December 2010: China's foray into Africa coincided with the peak of the commodity supercycle.
Opinion

China's expensive bet on Africa has failed

Coronavirus crash in commodity prices has wasted $200 billion in investment and loans

1 May 2020
Proceeds from the canceled IPO of Tavan Tolgoi were earmarked toward building a railway to carry the mine’s coal output, now transported by truck, to China.
Materials

Mongolia says international IPO for coal mine no longer needed

Government had talked of raising up to $3bn in Hong Kong stock sale

28 April 2020
The day for Bank of China clients to settle contracts happened to be the very day of the unprecedented oil price crash.
Caixin

In Depth: A bitter $1.4bn lesson on commodity price speculation

60,000 Bank of China clients face $1.4bn in losses on oil futures derivatives

28 April 2020
Baowu operates this steel mill in Guangdong Province, China.
Commodities

China's Baowu dethrones long-reigning steel king ArcelorMittal

Upset symbolizes Asian nation's missed opportunities to cut excess capacity

28 April 2020
The spread of the coronavirus lead to the collapse in the oil market.
Datawatch

Global crude inventories to max out in 2 months amid coronavirus

Plunging demand leads to a strain on storage facilities

27 April 2020
It takes about one month to ship LNG from the Middle East to Japan. If the coronavirus outbreak prevents ships from docking in Japan, it could have a big impact on the country's power supply. (Photo courtesy of JERA)
Energy

Hidden threat: Japan has only 2-week stockpile of LNG

Coronavirus exposes nation's post-Fukushima vulnerability

23 April 2020
Singapore is a major Asian hub for energy trading and transport, a sector that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Commodities

Singapore oil trader Hin Leong battered by crude crash

Seeks moratorium on $4bn in debt as credit dries up amid pandemic

23 April 2020
A crude oil pump jack and flare burning excess gas in Texas. A key U.S. oil price contract turned negative for the first time on Monday.
Commodities

Four things to know about the historic oil price plunge

Crude treated like 'garbage' shows turmoil in world's largest commodity market

22 April 2020
India's government has partially relaxed its nationwide lockdown, especially in rural areas, but farmers find themselves with no workers and severed from supply chains. (Photo by Harshita Rathore)
Economy

Indian farmers fear for survival despite lockdown's relaxation

World's largest rural population must now piece supply chains back together

20 April 2020
Most of the mutton consumes in Japan is imported meat.
Commodities

Japan's sheep meat import prices remain high despite coronavirus

Chinese demand grows, while Australian supply drops amid droughts and fires

19 April 2020
A drilling site in the Eagle Ford Shale area in Texas: shale producers are slashing spending and production targets.
Opinion

OPEC's efforts to mop up global oil oversupply are good for Asia

Industry's growth is crucial for long-term energy security

17 April 2020
China's state-owned power producers saw a widespread dip in production in the first three months of the year. 
Energy

China's power production numbers hint at economic contraction

Double-digit drop in electricity output bodes ill for first quarter GDP

16 April 2020
A curfew in Thailand is driving consumers to hoard rice for fear of a prolonged stay-at-home order. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
International relations

Coronavirus exposes ASEAN divisions on rice security

Officials fail to reach immediate agreement at emergency summit

15 April 2020
Blockchain will enable consumers to track who is involved in the cup of coffee they drink in Indonesia's Blue Korintji Coffee shop.
Technology

Blockchain set to power Asia's farmers

Transparent supply chains build trust, as well as profits

12 April 2020