According to Servihoo.com:

World oil prices shot higher on Wednesday as traders absorbed tumbling energy stockpiles in the world’s leading consumer country, the United States…..

“With gasoline inventories standing at very low levels, refinery outages plaguing the market and demand running at an all-time high, further gains are likely,” warned Barclays Capital analysts.

Traders’ worries about demand from the United States, the world’s biggest energy consumer, resurfaced Tuesday after a monthly survey showed US consumer confidence — a key gauge of economic well-being — fell amid a deepening housing market crisis.

Despite the recent financial turbulence, oil demand was likely to remain strong and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel should increase output, the Financial Times on Wednesday quoted the International Energy Agency (IEA) as saying.

IEA head Claude Mandil told the specialist Arab Oil and Gas review meanwhile that “more crude oil is needed, therefore, but unfortunately the signals being sent out by OPEC do not leave us much hope in that regard.“

The OPEC oil producers’ grouping meets on September 11 in Vienna but dealers do not expect the cartel to adjust its output ceiling.

This is just a sample taste of what is to come…

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According to adnkronos.com:

Singapore, 24 August (AKI/Jakarta Post) – Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to build three interconnected power transmission networks using up to one billion US dollars in investment.

Indonesian energy and mineral resources minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the agreements, signed on Thursday at the sidelines of an meeting in Singapore of energy ministries of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was part of the ASEAN Power Grid project.

Under the agreement, Indonesia, which is represented by state-run electricity company PLN, and its partners from the two neighboring countries would jointly build three power transmission lines connecting Sarawak in Malaysia with Pontianak in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan; Penang in Malaysia with Riau in the Indonesian island of Sumatra; and Singapore with Batam and Bintan in Riau Islands of Indonesia.

In the short-term, PLN would use the cross-border transmission networks to buy electricity from either Singapore or Malaysia to cope with the electricity shortages in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the minister told The Jakarta Post.

In the long-term, PLN, which is currently engaged in a crash program to provide an additional power supply of 10,000 megawatts by the end of 2009, may be able to use the facilities to sell its power surplus to the two neighboring countries.

“In the future, we could take advantage of gas production from the Natuna gas block to build a power plant in Batam. The electricity from the island could be sold to Singapore,” PLN executive Syaiful B. Ibrahim said, adding that the company could also build a coal-fired power plant in Riau, where coal reserves are abundant.

Indonesia’s director general of electricity and energy use J. Purwono told the Jakarta Post that Indonesia was very supportive of the project it would ensure the country could overcome the current power crisis that has hit regions in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

He said in the future it would also help PLN to generate more income from exporting electricity.

To provide reliable supplies of electricity in the region, ASEAN member countries agreed in 1997 to jointly develop the ASEAN Power Grid project. The project envisions countries with abundant natural resources generating income from their surplus power while countries with high power demands met their electricity shortfalls with imports from neighboring ASEAN countries.

ASEAN is pursuing 11 power interconnections under the project, five of which are scheduled to be in operation by 2010.

Syaiful said three projects were still under examination but were targeted to be completed by 2012.

PLN will cooperate with Malaysian companies Sesco and Tenaga Nasional Berhad to build the power electricity lines connecting the two countries. PLN will cooperate with Singapore Power for its connections with Singapore.

ASEAN will need around 100 billion dollars in investment to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the region over the coming years.

This means if there is a economic down turns then everyone will not survive this electricity shortages, Singapore imported PNG (Piped Natural Gas) from Indonesia Natuna Field to power 80% of Singapore electricity and by looking at this plan may mean that the network of electricity will be shared and sold to Indonesia possibly at the spot price of electricity market (changes every 30min) according to demand and supply. By then the whole electricity market will be opened up and be sold to consumer residential houses (yes including HDB) in such tariff…that changes according to demand.

What does it mean to you and me? It means ….the electricity market might just open up by 2010 latest by 2012. If indonesia got higher demand….and pay higher price for the electricity…then you have to pay the same price too!! It will be so much higher then you are paying now.

So the good times will be over then…but life will still go on…with electricity…just more expensive that is.

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According to Yahoo!Finance News:

JAKARTA, Aug 28 Asia Pulse – State-owned electricity company PLN wants to import 4 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Iran to supply an LNG terminal to be built in Cilegon, Banten.

A PLN Director Ali Herman Ibrahim said negotiations with Iran are now in progress after failing to secure supply from Qatar.

Approaches have also been made with other countries in Middle East, Ali said, adding negotiations with Qatar ended in failure as that country plans to cut its output in a bid to push up the price.

PLN will needs LNG supply to feed its power generating plants now are facing a deficit of around 30 cubic feet per day.

The LNG terminal to be built in the Bojonegara port town will have the capacity of 400 mmscfd.

- I cannot hold it any more, Indonesia need to import natural gas?? HOLY!!! To think the OPEC country Indonesia that have 22 years contract to export Natural Gas to Singapore via PNG have to import Natural Gas and for their own power generating plants??

This is serious!! What will be the implication here? Iran supplying Natural Gas to Indonesia!

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According to AsiaOne News:

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave his assurance yesterday that the new compulsory annuity scheme will be flexible, basic and cheap.

Responding to concerns that the policy would be forced through, he revealed that the Manpower Ministry is forming a committee to come up with proposals.

The committee will include unionists, social workers, insurance industry experts and other financial figures.

The goal: a longevity insurance or annuity scheme ‘with as much flexibility in it as possible’. An annuity works when a person invests a lump sum with an insurer, which then pays him a monthly sum for life.

‘I don’t want to have anybody who’s 85 or 90 years old saying, ‘My CPF is finished, I have no insurance, and now I need to live and I have nothing, nobody to look after me, medical care, house, food, everything’,’ Mr Lee said at a dialogue with about 150 members and guests of the National Trades Union Congress at the Ang Mo Kio Hub.

He announced plans for the compulsory annuity scheme last Sunday in his National Day Rally speech. Questioned about it by anxious unionists yesterday, he said that he would leave insurance experts to work out the details.

However, he outlined the conditions that the ultimate solutions will have to satisfy: ‘I think that we want to allow as much flexibility in the scheme as possible, keep it basic, keep it cheap, low cost.’

In his Rally speech, he said that annuities will be made compulsory for Central Provident Fund members aged below 50.

They will buy an annuity at age 55 using a small portion of their CPF Minimum Sum. The annuity will give them a monthly payout of about $250 to $300 once their Minimum Sum runs out at 85. This is meant to cover members’ needs when they outlive their CPF savings.

Said PM Lee: ‘Normally when people take up insurance, they buy in case ‘I die early, I will collect’. This is the opposite – ‘I buy, in case I live longer, then I will collect’. And I think that is a fair way to do it in principle.’

The idea has been controversial because it forces CPF members to lock up part of their CPF savings in an annuity that their families will not get back if they do not live to see 85.

Hence, the PM’s assurance yesterday that the sum to be invested in the annuity will be small. Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen made the same promise early last week.

Asked by labour MP Josephine Teo why the scheme has to be compulsory, Mr Lee replied that a large insurance pool will be needed to keep costs low.

He added that most people would not plan for their long-term old age needs if it were left to them.

Bank employee Ng Mei Yen, 32, told Mr Lee that the key was still to educate people on retirement planning.

Mr Lee replied: ‘I agree with you. If everybody is like you I don’t need a Minimum Sum!’

The insurance, he added, will also help Singapore retain its young people and not place too heavy a burden on them.

Without it, the Government would have to take care of the elderly through heavier taxes on the young.

He said: ‘If I were you, belonging to that generation of children or grandchildren, and I had to pay taxes for the senior citizens in Singapore, I think I’d be looking for other places to work where the taxes are less and the burden is less.’

What? A compulsory Insurance Scheme that have no pay out if I die early? What is this all about? I have not idea? The problem with the CPF is that the “boss” of Sg. think they can take away the “privilege” of an CPF draw out for retirement. The big question is do Singaporean want to stay here? I know the world will want to come to SG to stay for work and safety reasons…but what is the cost?

Things are going to be worst when the energy crisis starts within 2 years…that I can predict.

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According to The Jakarta Post

Indonesia plans annual shipments of up to five million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan after their current contracts end in 2010, despite the country’s plan to sell more of its gas domestically.

State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, which handles sales of the country’s LNG, will ship about two million tons of the total five million tons from the Senoro LNG plant in Central Sulawesi, which is expected to come onstream by 2010, the company’s deputy president director, Iin Arifin Takhyan, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Iin said the other three million tons, which was agreed to following the signing of the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement by President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Jakarta early last week, would be provided by other LNG plants.

Asked if the additional LNG exports to Japan would conflict with the government’s policy of using its gas reserves domestically, Iin said the gas from the Senoro LNG plant would be exported to Japan due to the lack of infrastructure to supply it to the domestic market.

The fact that a Japanese company, Mitsubishi, is also involved in the Senoro LNG project as a majority shareholder, with a 51 percent stake, is another reason LNG from the plant will be shipped to the country, he said.

Japan had demanded Indonesia guarantee the continuity of its LNG exports as part of the partnership agreement. However, Indonesia was only able to commit to guaranteed LNG exports of three million tons a year when the current contracts end in 2010.

Under the current contracts, Indonesia ships 12 million tons a year to Japan.

Iin, who heads the negotiation team for the extension of LNG export contracts with Japan, said with Indonesian gas production limited due to a lack of new findings and aging fields, it was important for the government to prioritize the domestic gas market.

However, he said Pertamina was still open to more negotiations on the amount of gas that would be exported and at what price.

Of Indonesia’s total annual LNG exports of 24 million tons, 12 million tons go to Japan.

Recently, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Indonesia could increase its LNG export commitments if significant new gas discoveries were made.

He cited gas production from Inpex’s Masela block in the Timor Sea and Chevron’s Ganal block off the coast of East Kalimantan, which are currently under development and could be used to meet export demand.

The big “if” new “significant” gas discoveries were made then they won’t be unsure about the guarantee part….3 million tons compared to 12 million tons gurantee is a huge 1/4 difference. If Indonesia are unable to make a gurantee due to uncertainties of the aging Natural Gas field and increasing domestic market….what makes it able to supply Singapore in the future…maybe they might sell us LNG instead of PNG instead and at a much higher market price that flucuate daily…hmmm? That will means your electricity price will be $200 this month $1000 next month if the demand picks up suddenly…hmmmm

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According to Yahoo!Singapore News

SINGAPORE : Singapore is urging its ASEAN partners to tackle issues of energy security and climate change.Speaking at the ASEAN Energy Meeting in Singapore on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar outlined four key areas for the region’s energy priorities.

One area is to adopt and encourage energy efficiency so as to help cut energy needs.

Another critical area is the development of a competitive regional energy market.

This will hopefully mean better access to energy supplies and the transfer of new energy technologies.

Prof Jayakumar believes investing in R&D will also reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.

But he said ASEAN countries must also promote a clean environment and find ways to protect forests, rivers, lakes and air quality.

With Singapore taking over the ASEAN chair recently, he said energy and climate concerns will feature in themes for upcoming summits.

“ASEAN’s continued growth and prosperity hinges upon managing the competition for resources through cooperative efforts such as joint exploration and development of energy resources, more integrated markets, and sharing of expertise and technology,” said Prof Jayakumar, who is also the Law Minister and the Coordinating National Security Minister.

“Although the challenges are immense, they are not insurmountable if we can strengthen our cooperation, so that the region as a whole can benefit,” he added.

The whole Asean working together to fight “Peak Oil” or tackle energy security fo the region…this is a positive step to mitigate into the future on energy scarcity problem. This however the solution to this might be a much tougher hand on those energy abuser. The possibility of higher cost then required are taxing vehicle owners. The latest move by the LTA is MORE ERP Gantry all over Singapore!!

I have some ideas on increasing more “Green” vehicles on the road, if the vehicle use other propelling methods other then OIL (Gasoline, Diesel) can avoid paying for ERP and reduce road tax and insurance for GREEN Vehicles! This will definitely cut the use of OIL which eventually make the whole Singapore environmentally friendly.

The problems ARE where are these green vehicles comes from? If truly a Governmental move towards Green Energy Movement then the Government should encourage GREEN Vehicle R&D and Manufacturing in SINGAPORE! Approval of research grants and sponsoring of prototype vehicles should be greatly encouraged!

According to Channelnewsasia:

SINGAPORE: Oil prices have remained high in recent weeks, keeping near US$70 a barrel. While this is keeping some analysts on their toes, some said Singapore is able to weather the high prices. The comment came at the sidelines of the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2007, which opened on Wednesday. The issue of energy security is increasingly gaining prominence at many regional and international forums. And most countries now agree that sustaining this involves a broad agenda that includes diversification, energy efficiency and bilateral cooperation. In Singapore, basic market forces have already made an impact in encouraging the use of oil alternatives. Khoo Chin Hean, chief executive of Energy Market Authority, said: “We were powered by oil. But over the last five to six years, we’ve made the switch to gas. The market will drive us to something that is cost efficient. By using gas, I notice it has helped to maintain downward pressure on electricity price.“ David Ernsberger, Asia editorial director of Platts, said: “Industries that consume oil have largely moved out of Singapore or they’re rationalising their businesses in some other way. Singapore is a service-based and a knowledge-based economy these days. So Singapore is very well insulated against this volatility in oil prices by not having these energy-intensive parts of the economy.” As for industries that are dependent on oil, such as airlines and shipping, analysts said the increased costs have been mitigated by buoyant growth. Mr Ernsberger said: “For the Singapore economy, it’s almost like oil prices don’t even exist because the GDP growth in this country has been far ahead of expectations. And I think the higher oil prices grow, the faster the Singapore economy grows. “In fact, not only will the economy not slow down, it will probably continue to grow quite quickly throughout this period of high oil prices.“ With demand and supply fundamentals in oil holding strong, most market-watchers are expecting oil prices to stay near current highs.

Seriously, this article is forgetting about the future of Natural Gas pricing, yes we do have 22 years “long” term contract with Indonesia to import PNG (Piped Natural Gas) at a ridiculously low pricing compared to LNG. If Indonesia wants to play the ball like Russia vs Ukraine to hike the price of the NATURAL GAS or else will terminate the supply regardless of any contracts signed previously…Russian can have the option to sell it to other countries that are more willing to pay much more market price for LNG, such countries such as CHINA, INDIA, USA, KOREA and JAPAN…and many more. The future of Natural Gas will be even more expensive when Oil starts to be too expensive to afford. So Ladies and Gentlemen…be prepared for the electricity hike…coming 2009 to 2010. Don’t say I never warn you, the liberalization of electricity market is coming to be country wide soon!

Toilet LEDs

The solar panels managed to keep my LED running for about 5 months now and lighting is pretty bright actually but it does look dark in the digital camera

This is just a tiny steps to using full scale renewable energy as there are much more plans to increase my project size to fully use renewable energy for my electrical appliances.

I will continue to find out ways to improve on the design so that it will be more efficient in future.

Let’s check out another video of mine on the LED lights this time it’s at my living room.

The digital camera from my mobile phone is not strong enough to capture the full brightness of my LED lights hence it does look pretty dark haha…No worries! My buddy Peter are sending me some high powered LED for me to test on my batteries to see how bright those super bright (Luxeon LED) really are! These new LEDs need heat sink to cool down and should be very promising!

According to Yahoo!Finance:

Quote:

Oil Prices Rise Again, Upgrades for First Energy and TransOcean, Iran Oil Minister Out

NEW YORK (AP) — Following is a summary of top stories in the energy sector at midday Monday.

Oil Prices on the Rebound

Energy futures rose amid easing concerns about the economy. Light, sweet crude for September delivery rose $1.23 to $72.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and topped $73 a barrel earlier in the session. September gasoline jumped 3.17 cents to $1.9865 a gallon….Read more at Yahoo!Finance

The possibility of spike in oil prices due to profit buying (greed induced) or panic of shortages (fear induced) may cause oil to temporary go to a new high in the near future. To me, the roller coaster ride had only just began…the next few months will be very crucial as OPEC will decide to confirm the decision to cut oil production in September and geopolitical conflict may spark anywhere and anytime…with huge fleet of USA warships parking at the gulf may signal the highest tension since post 9/11 invasion of Iraq.

Read more on Peak Oil and stay prepared!