Laos has begun importing gasoline from China instead of purchasing it from neighboring Thailand amid an ongoing economic crisis, including surging inflation that has prompted one lawmaker to call for an increase in salaries for domestic workers and state employees.

Analysts foresee Malaysia’s oil and gas sector to remain resilient in the second half of 2023, underpinned by steady oil prices.

LIQUEFIED natural gas (LNG) from Indonesia made up less than 1 per cent of Singapore’s annual natural gas imports on average between 2020 and 2022, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said in a written parliamentary reply on Monday (Jul 3).

Thailand’s domestic gas supply has increased as production from the Erawan gas block in the Gulf of Thailand has risen to 400 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) from 210 MMSCFD earlier this year, according to the Department of Mineral Fuels.

State energy firms Pertamina and Petronas plan to jointly take over Shell’s participating interest in Indonesia’s Masela gas project, the Indonesian energy minister said on Monday.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina plans to expand its business to East Africa by establishing an oil refinery in Kenya.

Petrol station manager Peter Wong’s electricity bill used to be around RM280 a month but he has been smiling since installing 10 solar panels in his house last year as he enjoys almost free electricity.

Philippine solar company Solana Solar has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Philippine firm Kratos RES to supply 10-20MW of electricity from its upcoming Solana Solar Power Project in the Philippines.

Costly electricity bills create a financial burden for the public, but also accelerate momentum for the establishment of free power trade in Thailand.

The electricity tariff will increase by an average of 1.2 per cent in the third quarter of this year, SP Group said on Friday (Jun 30).