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China, Kazakhstan sign cooperation deals worth over 8 bln USD

Source: www.chinamining.org  Citation: Xinhua  Date: June 12, 2017

Chinese and Kazakh enterprises and financial institutions have signed at least 24 deals worth more than 8 billion U.S. dollars during Chinese President Xi Jinping`s visit to Kazakhstan, Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said Friday. 

Both sides agreed to push for the progress in cooperation in energy, mining, chemical industry, mechanical manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure, said Zhong.

China signed an agreement with Kazakhstan to supply the latter with super computer equipment, and the two countries are discussing the signing of a renewed investment protection deal, he said. 

They also inked a protocol to approve the entry of Kazakhstan`s frozen mutton to China. 

Zhong said both sides will continue measures to facilitate bilateral trade, expand cooperation in economy and trade, customs and quality inspection, and cement the rebounding momentum in bilateral trade. 

China and Kazakhstan agreed to quicken the implementation of plans to align the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the Kazakh "Bright Path" new economic policy.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. 

Kazakhstan`s "Bright Path" policy is aimed at revitalizing the country`s economy. 

Kazakhstan is a comprehensive strategic partner of China and an important member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). 

Xi is currently paying a state visit to Kazakhstan. 

During his trip, the two countries reached a broad range of consensuses on trade, investment, energy and financial cooperation, and achieved positive results.

Meanwhile at the Astana summit of the SCO, Xi put forward a series of economic and trade proposals. 

To implement these proposals, Zhong said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce will work to advance the mechanism arrangement for regional economic cooperation.

The ministry will actively promote cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises and local governments from SCO member countries.

China will also work for the establishment of a union of economic think tanks and strengthen capability building by promoting people-to-people exchanges.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2014 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin on October 20-23, 2014. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 16th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us. For more information about CHINA MINING 2014, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

China, Kazakhstan sign cooperation deals worth over 8 bln USD

China to set up combustible ice bases for industrial development

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: AFP        Date: June 08, 2017

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry (left) shakes hands with China`s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli in
Beijing on June 8, 2017 (AFP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Beijing (AFP) - US Energy Secretary Rick Perry called for Sino-US cooperation on clean energy during a visit to Beijing Thursday, a week after President Donald Trump`s much-criticised withdrawal from the Paris climate pact.

Trump`s decision has jolted the international community and could put China, the world`s top carbon emitter, in a position to fill the leadership void on curbing global warming.

But Perry said the United States was still eager to work with China on developing clean energy technology such as liquefied natural gas, clean coal and nuclear power.

"We have extraordinary opportunities to be partners to work on clean energy issues," Perry said during a meeting with China`s number seven, Zhang Gaoli, on the sidelines of a ministerial-level clean energy meeting in Beijing.

The relatively low-level reception was a contrast to the red carpet Beijing rolled out for California governor Jerry Brown earlier this week.

Brown met for almost an hour with Chinese President Xi Jinping and they signed a memorandum of understanding on developing clean energy.

Brown has vowed to step into the vacuum left by Trump`s exit from the Paris accords, and has mounted a vigorous PR campaign on behalf of his state`s leadership on environmental issues during his week long tour of China.

Beijing has said it will stick with the agreement despite the US withdrawal and is seeking to reach out to American states that share its determination.

California, which has the world`s sixth-largest economy, is one of a handful of American states that have pledged to continue fighting climate change regardless of action at the federal level.

The state -- which has some of the worst air pollution in the country -- has dramatically slashed its harmful emissions in the last decade.

It has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

Before setting off for China, Brown pledged California would resist Trump`s decision to abandon the Paris deal, describing the move as "misguided and insane".

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

China, California strengthen clean energy ties

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: Xinhua          Date: June 08, 2017

BEIJING - California is looking to expand cooperation with China in clean energy, especially in the fields of battery technology and zero-emission vehicles, said California Governor Jerry Brown Tuesday.

"China has many battery plants, and that brings down the costs of batteries. That would help California achieve the penetration of zero-emission vehicles," Brown told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing eighth Clean Energy Ministerial and the Second Mission Innovation Ministerial in Beijing.

California will work with Chinese government officials and businesses to reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels, Brown said.

It also has goals that are consistent with, or even more aggressive than the Paris agreement on climate change, and achievement of such goals require collaboration with China, he said.

"We can only meet those [goals] if the technology continues improving, and to a significant degree, various businesses and entities in China will be part of that technological innovation. And for that I`m very grateful," Brown said.

On Tuesday, Brown signed an agreement on behalf of California with China`s Ministry of Science and Technology, expanding cooperation on the advancement of low-carbon, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies such as zero-emission vehicles, energy storage, grid modernization and low-carbon urban development, according to a statement released on the governor`s office website.

In the past few days, Brown also signed clean energy agreements with China`s Sichuan and Jiangsu provinces, respectively, hoping to bolster regional climate partnerships with China.

Under the agreements, California and Jiangsu will expand collaboration on greenhouse gas emission and air pollution reduction programs, including emissions trading systems. The pact with Sichuan will provide incubator space and market access for California clean energy and technology companies in the province, according to the statement.

Brown`s visit to China came shortly after US President Donald Trump`s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, a landmark global pact to fight climate change.

Brown said that while the decision will slow down the economic transition of the United States, he expected the country to rejoin the global effort to combat climate change.

While the United States stepped back from its commitment, China has stayed firm.

In response to Trump`s decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China would remain committed to upholding and promoting global governance on climate change and take an active part in the multilateral process.

Besides cooperation with China in clean technology, Brown also expressed his interest in China`s Belt and Road Initiative, and said California was open to cooperation opportunities in fields including water, electricity, and railways.

While recognizing China`s progress in combating climate change, Brown called for more global concerted efforts on the issue.

"We have a long way to go, but we are a lot further than we would have thought five years ago, and we`ll accelerate. We`ll accelerate in large part because China and United States, and California in particular, are collaborating," he said.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

China to set up combustible ice bases for industrial development

 Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: Xinhua              Date: June 05, 2017

China will set up two to four large combustible ice bases for industrial development, the Ministry of Land and Resources (MOLR) said Friday.

The government will also formulate regulation and other industrial procedures, according to Li Jinfa, deputy director of the China Geological Survey under the MOLR.

China is estimated to have 80 billion tonnes of oil equivalent combustible ice, according to Li.

Yu Haifeng, a senior official with the MOLR, suggested setting combustible ice as a new mineral species and including its development in the category of emerging strategic sectors to encourage enterprises exploit the resource.

Combustible ice usually exists in seabed or tundra areas, which have the high pressure and low temperature necessary for its stability. It is flammable like solid ethanol.

China announced its success on May 18 in collecting samples of combustible ice in the South China Sea after nearly two decades of research and exploration, a major breakthrough that may lead to a global energy revolution.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

Market set to get greater role in oil and gas sector

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: China Daily          Date: May 23, 2017

The market-oriented reform of the country`s oil and gas sector will give the market a decisive role in the industry, allowing broader participation in a sector dominated by State-owned companies, analysts said. 

"The blueprint for the heavily monopolized energy sector won`t have any serious impact on the dominance of State-owned trio of giants in the sector, but will definitely encourage the entry of independent companies into the industry and diversify the market players," said Wang Lu, an Asia-Pacific oil and gas analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

China`s oil and gas sector is dominated by three heavyweights: China National Petroleum Corp, China Petrochemical Corp and China National Offshore Oil Corp, which have long been accused of monopolizing the nation`s oil and gas resources.

"Allowing new players into the industry may raise the country`s upstream capital expenditure, which would increase the workload of oilfield service companies, especially independent ones such as Anton Oilfield Services Group and SPT Energy Group," said Wang.

The news of the reform plan fueled a stock market upsurge among oilfield service companies on Monday, with Sinopec Oilfield Service Corp climbing 9.95 percent to 4.09 yuan (60 cents) and China Oilfield Service Ltd rising 0.83 percent to 13.31 yuan.

Low oil prices have made PetroChina, Sinopec and CNOOC more prudent in capital expenditure, said Wang.

The reform plan, released on Sunday, included opening up exploration to more companies, liberalizing retail prices and separating pipeline operations from the country`s major energy firms.

Dong Xiucheng, a professor at the China University of Petroleum in Beijing, said the reform will give competitive firms easier market access, whether they are State-owned or private.

"A more diversified competitive market will be the future trend," said Dong.

"While the government should safeguard national energy security, the market should play its role in allocating resources, boosting productivity to meet demand."

However, some analysts said the plan lacks an implementation schedule, deadline or specific projects.

"The plan shows a clear attitude toward the sector`s future direction," said Li Li, energy research director at ICIS China, a consulting firm on China`s energy market. 

"However, the blueprint comes up with no specific schedule for the long-awaited reform of the sprawling State-controlled sector, or clear deadlines or certain requirements for any specific projects and companies."

Wang said the industry is heading toward market-oriented prices and the diversification of market players. Yet issues which may discourage the industry from changing include low oil prices and high upfront capital requirements.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

Broad approach boosts energy security

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: Global Times           Date: May 22, 2017

Experts on Sunday said that China`s efforts to achieve energy security have achieved preliminary success after the country received crude oil from the last of the four energy channels it has been building for years.

The first crude oil from Myanmar has reached China via the China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline, State-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) announced in a statement on its website on Friday.

The 1,420-kilometer cross-border pipeline, part of the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline project, starts near Kyaukpyu in Myanmar and enters China at the border city of Ruili, Southwest China`s Yunnan Province. The pipeline can carry 13 million tons of crude oil per year, according to CNPC.

Beyond the Myanmar pipeline, China has built up three other energy channels in recent years: the Sino-Russian pipeline passing through China`s Northeastern provinces, the traditional seaborne supply composed of ports and ships, and a pipeline that links Northwest China`s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Central Asian countries.

Also on Friday, local media in Northeast China`s Heilongjiang Province reported that China had received 100 million tons of crude from Russia via the Sino-Russian oil pipeline since 2011, citing customs data. The total value of the crude is $62.57 billion, and the shipments have generated 65.7 billion yuan ($9.54 billion) in tax revenue.

In the first three months of this year, the China-Kazakhstan pipeline pumped 1.53 million tons of crude into China, a statement on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission, the national economic planner, showed on February 27.

Dong Xiucheng, director of the China Oil & Gas Center with the China University of Petroleum, said that the latest developments show a national diversification strategy, which emphasizes establishing multiple sources of crude imports via multiple routes and directions, has achieved preliminary success.

Lin Boqiang, director of the Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, said that the functioning of all four energy channels is a milestone in China`s efforts to achieve energy security and a more diversified energy supply system.

"However, it is vital to continue to expand supply because China`s demand for oil has increased significantly from years ago when plans for the four channels were drawn up," Lin told the Global Times Sunday.

China`s crude imports in the first four months of this year stood at 139.12 million tons, up 12.5 percent year-on-year, according to customs data. In 2016, the nation imported 381 million tons of crude.

The regions these pipelines pass through will definitely benefit, as will related industries, noted Lin.

"The four channels could be expanded. For instance, a new one that starts in Iran, passing through Pakistan and entering China via Xinjiang, could be an addition to existing channels despite its high costs. Such projects won`t be based solely on economic reasons -- political factors will also weigh in," Dong told the Global Times on Sunday.

However, the completion of these infrastructure projects and the resulting gradual increase in oil imports won`t affect China`s energy restructuring strategy, which aims to curb coal consumption, stabilize crude use and increase the share of natural gas in the energy portfolio, Dong said. He said that overall oil consumption will still rise.

Lin said that "it is also important to make more effort to increase the turnover of the three overland channels and increase their proportion of the nation`s oil supply and reduce the over-reliance on seaborne oil supply."

"From a long-term perspective, it can be expected that having multiple oil supplies will help China obtaining more leverage in negotiating oil import prices," Lin said.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

Breakthrough fuels hopes that fire ice is viable energy source

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: China Daily              Date: May 22, 2017

Photo shows a piece of rock sample from the seabed of South China Sea on April 2, 2017. (Photo/Xinhua)

On Thursday, the Ministry of Land and Resources announced that China had become the first country to viably extract gas from methane hydrates. Xinhua News Agency commented on Friday:

This month`s successful trial operations in test drilling and production in the South China Sea extracted an average of 16,000 cubic meters of gas per day in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. This marks a major step toward the commercial use of so-called flammable ice or fire ice, which presents as ice crystals with natural methane gas locked inside.

Achievements like this largely rest with major breakthroughs in key technologies such as deep-sea exploration. As other big powers put more efforts into maritime research and the exploitation of marine resources China has no reason to stand aside and it has now claimed a leading position in the exploitation of fire ice.

Formed in permafrost or under the sea, there are large reserves of methane hydrates, which have a high energy density and reportedly release less than half the amount of carbon dioxide as oil and coal when burned. Acquiring a steady output is well worth the painstaking drilling attempts, because it may quench the thirst of the country and the world for a sustainable energy supply.

Fire ice is likely the world`s last remaining carbon-based fuel source to be exploited, and countries have been seeking ways to make the extraction profitable. China`s breakthrough is seen as a major step toward making gas extraction from methane hydrates viable.

More important, the introduction of a series of new technologies and environmental protection emergency plans in the latest test drilling and production operations also represent the notable progress China has made in promoting innovation and environmental awareness.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.

Baogang Group, MCC cooperate on mineral resources

Source: www.chinamining.org     Citation: www.chinadaily.com.cn      Date: May 19, 2017

Baogang Group signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Mongolian Mining Co (MCC), the largest privately owned coal mining company in Mongolia, on mineral resources on May 12, reports Baotou Daily. 

According to the agreement, the two companies will cooperate in areas like coal mining, ore washing and selecting.

The move marks remarkable progress in international cooperation for Baogang Group, an iron and steel State-owned business based in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Bordering Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Mongolia is one of the Belt and Road Initiative countries. It boasts rich mineral resources including iron and coal.

Baotou has formed partnerships with Mongolia in various areas over the past few years as part of the implementation of national strategies for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin in September 23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19^th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.