Asian refining margins for fuel oil are set to hold near their current strong levels through the summer as increased use of the fuel by utilities to power air conditioners for cooling and disruptions to trade flows shrink global supplies.

"Robust power generation demand in the Middle East (notably Saudi Arabia) should result in lower fuel oil outflows from the region," said Iman Nasseri, managing director of energy consultancy FGE's Middle East office.

While fuel oil markets typically strengthen during the northern hemisphere summer months, four trade sources said fuel oil margins have demonstrated additional strength this year by shrugging off sharp gains in crude oil prices, which in mid-May climbed to their highest since November 2014.

The trade sources declined to be identified as they are unauthorised to speak to the media.

"Fears over falling Iranian supply ... structural falls in global supply and a strong seasonal demand uptick in the Middle East for power generation are combining to provide support," Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy said in a research note last week.

Lower fuel oil output in Venezuela due to refinery outages and a lack of crude oil, and refinery upgrades in Russia, the Middle East, India and South Korea have all contributed to tightening global supplies of the fuel, used to generate electricity and power industrial boilers and ships.

With the fuel oil surplus in the Middle East shrinking this year and next due to increased oil-fired power plant expansions, the region is projected to become a net fuel oil importer by mid-2019, though only for a short period of time, Nasseri said.

Increasing Saudi Arabian power demand amid falling supply from there, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait underpin the big shift, he said.

The 180-centistoke high-sulphur fuel oil discount to Dubai crude&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;settled at $3.21 a barrel, with Dubai crude holding above $74 a barrel.

In November 2014, when Dubai crude was last at similar levels, the same fuel oil crack or margin was at a discount wider than $6 a barrel.

Reflecting fuel oil's strength, the Singapore crack was the only one to post gains over the past few weeks, with ample supplies and rising crude prices weighing on other refined fuels, including gasoline and diesel.

"Fuel oil cracks should weaken as we move through (second-half 2018) as seasonal demand support wanes and destocking pressures from a highly backward&nbsp;market ... compensate for growing tightness in the fundamental balance," JBC said.

While strength in fuel oil markets subsides with the passing of peak utility demand, though, some analysts and traders see limited downside for fuel oil in the second half of the year.

In addition to tightening supplies, looming US&nbsp;sanctions on oil exports from Iran - a major fuel oil producer with exports of about 17 million tonnes in 2017 - could further limit fuel oil outflows, mainly to Asia.

Also, expectations of higher crude supplies in the second half of the year amid rising output from producers outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, including the United States and Russia, could weigh on crude prices, potentially lending support to fuel oil cracks.

The trade sources declined to be identified as they are unauthorised to speak to the media

Asian refining margins for fuel oil are set to hold near their current strong levels through the summer as increased use of the fuel by utilities to power air conditioners for cooling and disruptions to trade flows shrink global supplies. "Robust power generation demand in the Middle East (notably Saudi Arabia) should result in lower fuel oil outflows from the region," said Iman Nasseri, managing director of energy consultancy FGE's Middle East office. While fuel oil markets typically strengthen during the northern hemisphere summer months, four trade sources said fuel oil margins have demonstrated additional strength this year by shrugging off sharp gains in crude oil prices, which in mid-May climbed to their highest since November 2014. The trade sources declined to be identified as they are unauthorised to speak to the media. "Fears over falling Iranian supply ... structural falls in global supply and a strong seasonal demand uptick in the Middle East for power generation are combining to provide support," Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy said in a research note last week. Lower fuel oil output in Venezuela due to refinery outages and a lack of crude oil, and refinery upgrades in Russia, the Middle East, India and South Korea have all contributed to tightening global supplies of the fuel, used to generate electricity and power industrial boilers and ships. With the fuel oil surplus in the Middle East shrinking this year and next due to increased oil-fired power plant expansions, the region is projected to become a net fuel oil importer by mid-2019, though only for a short period of time, Nasseri said. Increasing Saudi Arabian power demand amid falling supply from there, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait underpin the big shift, he said. The 180-centistoke high-sulphur fuel oil discount to Dubai crude on Monday settled at $3.21 a barrel, with Dubai crude holding above $74 a barrel. In November 2014, when Dubai crude was last at similar levels, the same fuel oil crack or margin was at a discount wider than $6 a barrel. Reflecting fuel oil's strength, the Singapore crack was the only one to post gains over the past few weeks, with ample supplies and rising crude prices weighing on other refined fuels, including gasoline and diesel. "Fuel oil cracks should weaken as we move through (second-half 2018) as seasonal demand support wanes and destocking pressures from a highly backward market ... compensate for growing tightness in the fundamental balance," JBC said. While strength in fuel oil markets subsides with the passing of peak utility demand, though, some analysts and traders see limited downside for fuel oil in the second half of the year. In addition to tightening supplies, looming US sanctions on oil exports from Iran - a major fuel oil producer with exports of about 17 million tonnes in 2017 - could further limit fuel oil outflows, mainly to Asia. Also, expectations of higher crude supplies in the second half of the year amid rising output from producers outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, including the United States and Russia, could weigh on crude prices, potentially lending support to fuel oil cracks.

Asia fuel oil margins to be supported through mid-year on strong demand

Following the marginal one paisa cut in the fuel prices, former Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister&nbsp;M&nbsp;Veerappa Moily&nbsp;called the Centre, 'cruel'.

Talking to media, the former Union Minister said, "Reducing one paisa on petrol is meaningless. This shows that he is mocking the people. These people are putting a lot of excise duty which we have not done during our regime. This is totally burdensome. People are suffering. When in entire Asia the price is so much down, the price in India is very much high. So, it is a very cruel way of dealing with it."

Yesterday, the&nbsp;Indian Oil Corporation&nbsp;(IOCL), in a statement, said that the petrol prices in&nbsp;Delhi&nbsp;have gone down by one paisa.

On Wednesday, in&nbsp;Delhi,&nbsp;Kolkata,&nbsp;Mumbai&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chennai, petrol retailed at Rs 78.42, Rs 81.05, Rs 86.23 and Rs 81.42 per litre respectively while diesel sold at Rs 69.50, Rs 71.85, Rs 73.78 and Rs 73.17 per litre in&nbsp;Delhi,&nbsp;Kolkata,&nbsp;Mumbai&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chennai respectively.

On a related note, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the state government will reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs1 in the state.

Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT.&nbsp;Delhi&nbsp;has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals.

Earlier, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 28 attributed the rise in fuel price to the increase in the cost of crude oil in the international market and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT. Delhi has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals

Following the marginal one paisa cut in the fuel prices, former Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily called the Centre, 'cruel'. Talking to media, the former Union Minister said, "Reducing one paisa on petrol is meaningless. This shows that he is mocking the people. These people are putting a lot of excise duty which we have not done during our regime. This is totally burdensome. People are suffering. When in entire Asia the price is so much down, the price in India is very much high. So, it is a very cruel way of dealing with it." Yesterday, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), in a statement, said that the petrol prices in Delhi have gone down by one paisa. On Wednesday, in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, petrol retailed at Rs 78.42, Rs 81.05, Rs 86.23 and Rs 81.42 per litre respectively while diesel sold at Rs 69.50, Rs 71.85, Rs 73.78 and Rs 73.17 per litre in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai respectively. On a related note, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the state government will reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs1 in the state. Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT. Delhi has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals. Earlier, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 28 attributed the rise in fuel price to the increase in the cost of crude oil in the international market and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

One paisa fuel cut is meaningless: Veerappa Moily

Prices of petrol and diesel were hiked for the ninth time in 9 days on Tuesday.&nbsp

Petrol is now selling at Rs 76.87 a litre in Delhi, the highest ever since September 2013.&nbsp

Petrol was on Monday and Sunday selling at Rs 76.57 and 76.24 respectively — both of which were record highs until they were broken the following day.&nbsp

In Mumbai meanwhile, petrol is selling at Rs 84.70 — another record high.&nbsp

News reports said Tuesday that Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may meet oil companies today. Pradhan had on Sunday hinted at a tax cut, saying the Centre was "sensitive" about "rising fuel prices". That alternatives were being explored and that he hoped something would "work out soon".&nbsp&nbsp

Pradhan had not given out any more details.&nbsp

But should he be looking at a&nbspprice cut, the only two options he has is a reduction in excise duty or asking the oil companies to hold off on any further price hikes and bear the losses themselves.&nbsp 
&nbsp

News reports quoting unnamed sources said Tuesday that Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may meet with oil companies today. He had on Sunday said the Centre was 'sensitive' about 'rising fuel prices'

Prices of petrol and diesel were hiked for the ninth time in 9 days on Tuesday. Petrol is now selling at Rs 76.87 a litre in Delhi, the highest ever since September 2013. Petrol was on Monday and Sunday selling at Rs 76.57 and 76.24 respectively — both of which were record highs until they were broken the following day. In Mumbai meanwhile, petrol is selling at Rs 84.70 — another record high. News reports said Tuesday that Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may meet oil companies today. Pradhan had on Sunday hinted at a tax cut, saying the Centre was "sensitive" about "rising fuel prices". That alternatives were being explored and that he hoped something would "work out soon". Pradhan had not given out any more details. But should he be looking at a&nbspprice cut, the only two options he has is a reduction in excise duty or asking the oil companies to hold off on any further price hikes and bear the losses themselves.

Petrol, diesel prices hiked for 9th time in 9 days

After a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus, petrol price was today hiked by 17 paise a litre and diesel by 21 paise as PSU oil firms began passing on the spike witnessed in international rates to consumers.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 74.80 per litre from Rs 74.63 while diesel rates were increased to Rs 66.14 a litre from Rs 65.93, according to a price notification issued by state-owned oil marketing companies.

With this, diesel prices have touched a record high while petrol is at a 56-month peak.

Oil PSUs, who had kept rates unchanged for nearly three weeks before Karnataka went to polls despite input cost spiking, reverted to daily revision in prices no sooner had the state voted to elect a new government on Saturday.

State-owned oil marketing companies are estimated to have lost about Rs 500 crore as they absorbed higher cost resulting from the spike in international oil rates and fall in rupee against the US dollar.

Oil PSUs, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices on a daily basis to reflect changes in the cost, have kept pump rates static since April 24, an analysis of daily price notification issued by oil companies showed.

Oil PSUs have refused to acknowledge if the freeze followed a government diktat so as to help ruling BJP in Karnataka.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh last week said that the state-owned firms were "temporarily moderating" prices to avoid sharp spikes and panic among consumers.

Petrol and diesel prices were last revised on April 24 when they were hiked by 13 paise each. But prices were frozen thereafter. This despite benchmark international rate for petrol going up from USD 78.84 per barrel, which was used for raising the price to Rs 74.63 a litre on April 24, to USD 82.98 now, according to sources privy to fuel pricing methodology.

The benchmark international diesel rates during this period have climbed from USD 84.68 per barrel to USD 88.63. Also, the rupee has weakened to Rs 67 per US dollar from Rs 66.62, making imports costlier.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last month denied reports of a directive to state oil firms to absorb at least Re 1 a litre hike by not raising prices in line with cost.

The prices at petrol pumps of state-owned fuel retailers like Indian Oil Corp (IOC) were cut by 1-3 paise every day in the first fortnight of December 2017 before Gujarat went to polls.

They started moving up immediately after polling for assembly elections in Gujarat concluded on December 14, leading to speculation that government may have asked oil companies to hold the prices.

State-owned oil companies in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on 1st and 16th of every month and instead adopted a dynamic daily price revision to instantly reflect changes in cost.

If this practice was followed in letter and spirit, petrol and diesel prices should have been increased by Rs 1.5 a litre in last 19 days, an analyst tracking the sector said.

The government had in June 2010 freed petrol price from its control and the diesel rates were deregulated in October 2014. Prices have since then moved more or less in tandem with international rates barring a few exceptions like the period before a crucial election.

Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia and Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg have in the past weeks ruled out any immediate reduction in excise duty to cushion the increases warranted from a spike in international oil price.

The BJP-led government had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre.

The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 11.77 a litre and that on diesel by Rs 13.47 per litre to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. This led to its excise mop up more than doubling to Rs 2,42,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15.

The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017, come down to Rs 56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre.

However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 74.80 per litre from Rs 74.63 while diesel rates were increased to Rs 66.14 a litre from Rs 65.93, according to a price notification issued by state-owned oil marketing companies.

After a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus, petrol price was today hiked by 17 paise a litre and diesel by 21 paise as PSU oil firms began passing on the spike witnessed in international rates to consumers. Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 74.80 per litre from Rs 74.63 while diesel rates were increased to Rs 66.14 a litre from Rs 65.93, according to a price notification issued by state-owned oil marketing companies. With this, diesel prices have touched a record high while petrol is at a 56-month peak. Oil PSUs, who had kept rates unchanged for nearly three weeks before Karnataka went to polls despite input cost spiking, reverted to daily revision in prices no sooner had the state voted to elect a new government on Saturday. State-owned oil marketing companies are estimated to have lost about Rs 500 crore as they absorbed higher cost resulting from the spike in international oil rates and fall in rupee against the US dollar. Oil PSUs, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices on a daily basis to reflect changes in the cost, have kept pump rates static since April 24, an analysis of daily price notification issued by oil companies showed. Oil PSUs have refused to acknowledge if the freeze followed a government diktat so as to help ruling BJP in Karnataka. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh last week said that the state-owned firms were "temporarily moderating" prices to avoid sharp spikes and panic among consumers. Petrol and diesel prices were last revised on April 24 when they were hiked by 13 paise each. But prices were frozen thereafter. This despite benchmark international rate for petrol going up from USD 78.84 per barrel, which was used for raising the price to Rs 74.63 a litre on April 24, to USD 82.98 now, according to sources privy to fuel pricing methodology. The benchmark international diesel rates during this period have climbed from USD 84.68 per barrel to USD 88.63. Also, the rupee has weakened to Rs 67 per US dollar from Rs 66.62, making imports costlier. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last month denied reports of a directive to state oil firms to absorb at least Re 1 a litre hike by not raising prices in line with cost. The prices at petrol pumps of state-owned fuel retailers like Indian Oil Corp (IOC) were cut by 1-3 paise every day in the first fortnight of December 2017 before Gujarat went to polls. They started moving up immediately after polling for assembly elections in Gujarat concluded on December 14, leading to speculation that government may have asked oil companies to hold the prices. State-owned oil companies in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on 1st and 16th of every month and instead adopted a dynamic daily price revision to instantly reflect changes in cost. If this practice was followed in letter and spirit, petrol and diesel prices should have been increased by Rs 1.5 a litre in last 19 days, an analyst tracking the sector said. The government had in June 2010 freed petrol price from its control and the diesel rates were deregulated in October 2014. Prices have since then moved more or less in tandem with international rates barring a few exceptions like the period before a crucial election. Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia and Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg have in the past weeks ruled out any immediate reduction in excise duty to cushion the increases warranted from a spike in international oil price. The BJP-led government had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 11.77 a litre and that on diesel by Rs 13.47 per litre to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. This led to its excise mop up more than doubling to Rs 2,42,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15. The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017, come down to Rs 56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre. However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels.

Karnataka elections done, fuel prices hiked

Protesting against the high petrol and fuel prices, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today rode a bicycle as he led a march on the issue while campaigning in Karnataka's Kolar district.

Later, standing on a bullock cart, he addressed a gathering where he alleged that the BJP-led government wanted to take money from the common man to give it to its "rich friends" and asked it to tell the people why they were not reducing the price of petrol in the country.

Gandhi, who resumed his poll campaign for the May 12 assembly polls, took out a protest march in Maluru in Kolar against rising petrol prices by riding a bicycle with other Congress workers walking or running behind him.

The world over petrol prices were decreasing, but in India prices were still high, he lamented.

"Earlier in international market, the price was USD 140 per barrel, now it is USD 70 per barrel. So lakhs of crores of money is being saved by the government. Where is the money going?" Gandhi asked.

"Why are you not saying to people that you don't want to put GST on petrol and diesel? You want to take away money from common man and want to give it to your five or ten industrialist friends," he said before the gathering.

"You want to take money from the pockets of those driving scooter, truck, bus and other vehicles in the country and want to give it your rich friends," the Congress leader said.

During his three-day visit, Gandhi will be campaigning in Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkballapura, Tumakuru districts and Bengaluru city. PTI&nbsp;

The Congress President alleged the BJP-led government wanted to take money from the common man to give it to its 'rich friends'. Rahul was campaigning in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 12

Protesting against the high petrol and fuel prices, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today rode a bicycle as he led a march on the issue while campaigning in Karnataka's Kolar district. Later, standing on a bullock cart, he addressed a gathering where he alleged that the BJP-led government wanted to take money from the common man to give it to its "rich friends" and asked it to tell the people why they were not reducing the price of petrol in the country. Gandhi, who resumed his poll campaign for the May 12 assembly polls, took out a protest march in Maluru in Kolar against rising petrol prices by riding a bicycle with other Congress workers walking or running behind him. The world over petrol prices were decreasing, but in India prices were still high, he lamented. "Earlier in international market, the price was USD 140 per barrel, now it is USD 70 per barrel. So lakhs of crores of money is being saved by the government. Where is the money going?" Gandhi asked. "Why are you not saying to people that you don't want to put GST on petrol and diesel? You want to take away money from common man and want to give it to your five or ten industrialist friends," he said before the gathering. "You want to take money from the pockets of those driving scooter, truck, bus and other vehicles in the country and want to give it your rich friends," the Congress leader said. During his three-day visit, Gandhi will be campaigning in Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkballapura, Tumakuru districts and Bengaluru city. PTI

Watch: Rahul rides cycle in Karnataka to protest fuel prices, gives speech from bullock cart

The island-nation of Mauritius has started buying fuel from Saudi Arabia&#39;s state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco after a court ordered a ban on Indian fuel supplies because of a dispute between the country and a shipping firm.

For years, Indian oil refiner Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has been the sole supplier to Mauritius of fuels such as gasoline and diesel. However, an Indian court has ordered a ship loaded with fuel from MRPL for the island to stay in port until the Mauritian government settles an outstanding $120 million payment to shipper Betamax over a contract dispute.&nbsp;

Mauritian Trade Minister Ashit Gungah told reporters on Thursday in the country&#39;s capital of Port St. Louis that Aramco will supply fuel.&nbsp;&quot;I can reassure the population and economic operators that we have sufficient stock of fuel&quot;, he said. &quot;A first tanker is expected in the country during the weekend and two more tankers will arrive next week. A fourth tanker is due by mid-December&quot;.&nbsp;He further said the supplies would be sufficient to meet demand until January 2018.

&quot;Other friendly countries have also accepted to help Mauritius&quot;, Gungah said.&nbsp;The fuel issues stem from a dispute between the State Trading Corporation of Mauritius (STCM), which buys fuel from MRPL, and Mauritian-based shipper Betamax.

STCM in 2009 signed a 15-year contract with Betamax to transport fuels from MRPL in the southern the Indian state of Karnataka to Port Louis. The contract was worth 8 billion Mauritius rupees ($238 million), according to local media reports.&nbsp;But in 2015 it terminated the contract with Betamax.

The company won a case in June against STCM for premature termination at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre that awarded Betamax more than $120 million.&nbsp;Betamax pressed the case at the Karnataka High Court after STCM did not make payment.

A Karnataka court order reviewed by Reuters directed port authorities at Mangalore &quot;to refrain from providing any clearance&quot; to the tanker Pacific Diamond from leaving India with 40,000 tonnes of unspecified petroleum product for delivery to STCM.&nbsp;The ship is to be held until the next hearing on the matter on Monday, the order said.&nbsp;

Betamax can enforce the arbitration award against STCM&#39;s assets in any country where the award is enforceable.&nbsp;MRPL exports about 1.2 million tonnes of refined fuels to Mauritius a year.&nbsp;MRPL will look at exporting the surplus fuel if the ban continues on supplies to Port Louis, a company official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

An MRPL spokesman declined to comment on the matter while Saudi Aramco did not immediately reply to an e-mail.&nbsp;

After Indian court ordered an oil tanker loaded with fuel for Mauritius to stay in port until all outstanding has been settled, Mauritius buys fuel from Saudi Arabia

The island-nation of Mauritius has started buying fuel from Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco after a court ordered a ban on Indian fuel supplies because of a dispute between the country and a shipping firm. For years, Indian oil refiner Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has been the sole supplier to Mauritius of fuels such as gasoline and diesel. However, an Indian court has ordered a ship loaded with fuel from MRPL for the island to stay in port until the Mauritian government settles an outstanding $120 million payment to shipper Betamax over a contract dispute. Mauritian Trade Minister Ashit Gungah told reporters on Thursday in the country's capital of Port St. Louis that Aramco will supply fuel. "I can reassure the population and economic operators that we have sufficient stock of fuel", he said. "A first tanker is expected in the country during the weekend and two more tankers will arrive next week. A fourth tanker is due by mid-December". He further said the supplies would be sufficient to meet demand until January 2018. "Other friendly countries have also accepted to help Mauritius", Gungah said. The fuel issues stem from a dispute between the State Trading Corporation of Mauritius (STCM), which buys fuel from MRPL, and Mauritian-based shipper Betamax. STCM in 2009 signed a 15-year contract with Betamax to transport fuels from MRPL in the southern the Indian state of Karnataka to Port Louis. The contract was worth 8 billion Mauritius rupees ($238 million), according to local media reports. But in 2015 it terminated the contract with Betamax. The company won a case in June against STCM for premature termination at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre that awarded Betamax more than $120 million. Betamax pressed the case at the Karnataka High Court after STCM did not make payment. A Karnataka court order reviewed by Reuters directed port authorities at Mangalore "to refrain from providing any clearance" to the tanker Pacific Diamond from leaving India with 40,000 tonnes of unspecified petroleum product for delivery to STCM. The ship is to be held until the next hearing on the matter on Monday, the order said. Betamax can enforce the arbitration award against STCM's assets in any country where the award is enforceable. MRPL exports about 1.2 million tonnes of refined fuels to Mauritius a year. MRPL will look at exporting the surplus fuel if the ban continues on supplies to Port Louis, a company official said on condition of anonymity. An MRPL spokesman declined to comment on the matter while Saudi Aramco did not immediately reply to an e-mail.

Mauritius turns to Saudi fuel cargoes after court bans Indian supplies

The Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel will be supplied to the national capital by three oil PSUs from their refineries at Mathura, Bina and Bhatinda from April to help it fight the alarming levels of air pollution.

&quot;We will be able to meet the requirement of Delhi from April 1,&quot; IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh said here today.

&quot;We will have to tweak the fuel production slate to produce BS-VI (equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norm), he added.

The nation&#39;s biggest oil firm, IOC will source the fuel from its Mathura refinery, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will do so from its joint venture refinery at Bhatinda. Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) supply the fuel from its Bina refinery.

&quot;Meeting Delhi&#39;s requirement of BS-VI grade petrol and diesel will not be a problem,&quot; Singh said.

He added however that meeting the requirement of the National Capital Region (NCR) will be a challenge as it consumes about 10 per cent of the nation&#39;s fuel.

India had in 2015 decided to leapfrog to Euro-VI emission norm compliant petrol and diesel from April 2020, from the Euro-IV grade at present.

While the deadline for the rest of the country stands, for Delhi, which is choking on thick toxic smog, the deadline for introduction of BS-VI - equivalent to Euro-VI grade, was last week preponed to April 2018.

Euro-VI grade fuel contains 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur as against 50 ppm in Euro-IV fuels.

Delhi consumed 906,000 tonne petrol and 1.26 million tonne diesel in 2016-17, Singh said.

Oil firms have been asked to examine the possibility of the introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the entire NCR, which includes adjoining cities of Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad, from April 1, 2019.

In all likelihood, according to some industry players, supplies in the NCR may not begin by 2019.

The BS-IV emission norm was introduced across the country from April 1, 2017.

Oil refineries will need to invest Rs 28,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020.

According to IOC, for petrol engines, one of the most critical specification is Research Octane No. (RON), which has improved from 88 in BS-II to 91. It is at par with regular 91 octane gasoline (petrol) required for Euro-VI emission norms.

Sulphur specification for petrol and diesel will be reduced 50 times for a level of 500 ppm for BS-II fuel to 10 ppm in BS-VI.

Previously, the fuels meeting Euro-IV or Bharat Stage BS-IV specifications were to be supplied throughout the country by April 2017 and BS-V or Euro-V grade fuel by April 1, 2020.

But now the government plans to switch over directly from BS-IV to BS-VI auto fuels.

Oil refineries had previously upgraded technology and invested over Rs 55,000 crore for production and supply of BS.

India had in 2015 decided to leapfrog to Euro-VI emission norm compliant petrol and diesel from April 2020, from the Euro-IV grade at present

The Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel will be supplied to the national capital by three oil PSUs from their refineries at Mathura, Bina and Bhatinda from April to help it fight the alarming levels of air pollution. "We will be able to meet the requirement of Delhi from April 1," IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh said here today. "We will have to tweak the fuel production slate to produce BS-VI (equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norm), he added. The nation's biggest oil firm, IOC will source the fuel from its Mathura refinery, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will do so from its joint venture refinery at Bhatinda. Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) supply the fuel from its Bina refinery. "Meeting Delhi's requirement of BS-VI grade petrol and diesel will not be a problem," Singh said. He added however that meeting the requirement of the National Capital Region (NCR) will be a challenge as it consumes about 10 per cent of the nation's fuel. India had in 2015 decided to leapfrog to Euro-VI emission norm compliant petrol and diesel from April 2020, from the Euro-IV grade at present. While the deadline for the rest of the country stands, for Delhi, which is choking on thick toxic smog, the deadline for introduction of BS-VI - equivalent to Euro-VI grade, was last week preponed to April 2018. Euro-VI grade fuel contains 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur as against 50 ppm in Euro-IV fuels. Delhi consumed 906,000 tonne petrol and 1.26 million tonne diesel in 2016-17, Singh said. Oil firms have been asked to examine the possibility of the introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the entire NCR, which includes adjoining cities of Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad, from April 1, 2019. In all likelihood, according to some industry players, supplies in the NCR may not begin by 2019. The BS-IV emission norm was introduced across the country from April 1, 2017. Oil refineries will need to invest Rs 28,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020. According to IOC, for petrol engines, one of the most critical specification is Research Octane No. (RON), which has improved from 88 in BS-II to 91. It is at par with regular 91 octane gasoline (petrol) required for Euro-VI emission norms. Sulphur specification for petrol and diesel will be reduced 50 times for a level of 500 ppm for BS-II fuel to 10 ppm in BS-VI. Previously, the fuels meeting Euro-IV or Bharat Stage BS-IV specifications were to be supplied throughout the country by April 2017 and BS-V or Euro-V grade fuel by April 1, 2020. But now the government plans to switch over directly from BS-IV to BS-VI auto fuels. Oil refineries had previously upgraded technology and invested over Rs 55,000 crore for production and supply of BS.

Ready to supply Euro-VI fuel to Delhi from April, says IOC

Last week, China became the <a href="http://www.cctvplus.com/news/20170518/8050794.shtml#!language=1">first country</a> to stably and continuously produce gas from methane hydrate.

Methane hydrate is one of the world&#39;s largest untapped sources of energy, with reserves <a href="http://www.cctvplus.com/news/20170518/8050794.shtml#!language=1">twice</a> that of coal, oil and natural gas combined. It is usually found under the ocean bed, but because of difficulties involved in recovering it, it has not been exploited so far.

Countries such as China and Japan are increasingly making attempts to tap these reserves in their waters. Could India take a leaf out of their book and make use of this resource?

The motivation for China&nbsp;and Japan

China <a href="http://www.cctvplus.com/news/20170518/8050794.shtml#!language=1">produced</a> at least 10,000 cubic metres of methane for eight days in a row at&nbsp;their mining project in the South China sea. Japan is trying to better this by producing gas for <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/84abdc56-30b0-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a">four weeks</a> in a test well off the coast of central Japan.

Japan was actually the first to extract methane with an offshore platform <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/japan-methane-hydrate-idUKL3N1HI1KA">back in 2013</a>, but the flow lasted less than a week before problems crept in.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WCnXp_c9stg" width="560"></iframe>

China is especially motivated to&nbsp;develop&nbsp;this technology because it is the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-trade-crude-idUSKBN1570VJ">second-largest</a> importer of crude oil in the world. Japan is in a similar predicament, as it is presently the world&#39;s <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/japan-methane-hydrate-idUKL3N1HI1KA">biggest importer</a> of liquefied natural gas.

Right now extracting methane is not technically viable, let alone being commercially viable. But the progress made by China and Japan shows that day is not far away. In fact, Japan is hoping to produce methane on a commercial scale 10 years from now, <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/japan-methane-hydrate-idUKL3N1HI1KA">by 2027</a>.

Why methane hydrate matters for India

Global reserves of gas stored in methane hydrate are <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/8925cbb4-7157-11e3-8f92-00144feabdc0">estimated</a> to be in the range of 3,000 - 140,000 trillion cubic metres. Around 1,900 trillion cubic metres of methane are present in the seas around India, according to one <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/swaminathan-s-a-aiyar/tapping-massive-deposits-of-fire-ice-methane-hydrate-can-change-indias-energy-landscape/articleshow/19014438.cms">report</a>.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/india_reserves-20170523030645.png" />
<div class="media-description">
There are potential reserves of methane hydrate in these basins (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In fact, a gas reserve was <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/ONGC-hydrates-discovery-may-be-4-times-bigger-than-RILs-gas-find/articleshow/50505577.cms">discovered two years ago</a> in 2015 in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the eastern coast of India. The reserve is said to have a potential four trillion cubic metres of gas and there are said to be <a href="http://dghindia.gov.in/index.php/page?pageId=39">more reserves</a> in the Mahanadi and Andaman basins in the Bay of Bengal.

Given how India could be the world&#39;s third-biggest consumer of energy <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-to-be-world-s-3rd-largest-energy-user-by-2020-shinde-112042103005_1.html">by 2020</a>, it would do well to meet growing demand by tapping this huge resource just off its shores.

East Asian powers are trying to tap methane hydrate as a potential source of energy. Is India even in the conversation?

Last week, China became the first country to stably and continuously produce gas from methane hydrate. Methane hydrate is one of the world's largest untapped sources of energy, with reserves twice that of coal, oil and natural gas combined. It is usually found under the ocean bed, but because of difficulties involved in recovering it, it has not been exploited so far. Countries such as China and Japan are increasingly making attempts to tap these reserves in their waters. Could India take a leaf out of their book and make use of this resource? The motivation for China and Japan China produced at least 10,000 cubic metres of methane for eight days in a row at their mining project in the South China sea. Japan is trying to better this by producing gas for four weeks in a test well off the coast of central Japan. Japan was actually the first to extract methane with an offshore platform back in 2013, but the flow lasted less than a week before problems crept in. China is especially motivated to develop this technology because it is the second-largest importer of crude oil in the world. Japan is in a similar predicament, as it is presently the world's biggest importer of liquefied natural gas. Right now extracting methane is not technically viable, let alone being commercially viable. But the progress made by China and Japan shows that day is not far away. In fact, Japan is hoping to produce methane on a commercial scale 10 years from now, by 2027. Why methane hydrate matters for India Global reserves of gas stored in methane hydrate are estimated to be in the range of 3,000 - 140,000 trillion cubic metres. Around 1,900 trillion cubic metres of methane are present in the seas around India, according to one report. There are potential reserves of methane hydrate in these basins (WION) × In fact, a gas reserve was discovered two years ago in 2015 in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the eastern coast of India. The reserve is said to have a potential four trillion cubic metres of gas and there are said to be more reserves in the Mahanadi and Andaman basins in the Bay of Bengal. Given how India could be the world's third-biggest consumer of energy by 2020, it would do well to meet growing demand by tapping this huge resource just off its shores.

China, Japan way ahead of India in new gas race

Pedro and Mohamed await every utility bill with much angst. To reduce the money they have to pay, they live in the dark, without heating, or shower just once a week -- victims like millions in Spain of energy poverty.

Welfare associations have for years warned against this situation, but the death earlier this month of 81-year-old Rosa in a fire caused by a candle she used for light has brought the issue firmly to the fore. Socialist lawmaker Pilar Lucio asked the ruling conservative government to immediately implement a &quot;winter truce&quot; on companies cutting power to those who cannot pay -- a measure with majority support in parliament and encouraged in a 2009 EU directive.

Last year, according to Spain&#39;s National Statistics Institute, 10.6 per cent of Spaniards were unable to properly heat their homes -- or more than four million people -- compared to just 5.9 per cent in 2008, when an economic crisis kicked off. At fault are the economic crisis and widespread loss of jobs it caused, as well as a 30- to 50-per cent rise in utility prices since 2006.

&nbsp;

&quot;Luxury&quot; items

Pedro Martinez, 48, has been in this situation for several years. Unemployed since 2013, when the furniture company he was working for closed, he survives on a pension of 426 euros ($450) a month, and what remains of the compensation he received for being fired.

Divorced, he lives with his 20-year-old son and 23-year-old mentally impaired daughter in a working-class district of Barcelona, without heating and using electric light only when absolutely necessary.

&quot;It&#39;s tough in winter. We just have an electric heater, which we rarely switch on for fear of the bill,&quot; he says. &quot;The cold chills you to the bone. We wear coats and at night we use all the blankets we have.&quot;

Tere Bermudez, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic charity Caritas, says that &quot;for many families, water, light and gas are luxury items&quot;. She says that from 2007 to 2015, the organisation multiplied by 30 the number of utility bills it helped pay.

One of its beneficiaries is Mohamed Chairi, a 37-year-old Moroccan. Unemployed, his family lives off the monthly 250 euros from his wife&#39;s cleaning work as well as help from charities. &quot;We shower once a week, on Fridays, so that the kids are clean at the weekend,&quot; the father-of-three says.

In the corner of the living room of his small flat in Badalona near Barcelona, his youngest son plays with a broken electric radiator. Chairi has just received his electricity bill -- 24 euros for the month, a small sum for Spain but huge for him. &quot;The rent alone is 440 euros,&quot; he says. &quot;If I have to suffer from hunger or go without light or water, I don&#39;t care, but the kids...&quot;.

&nbsp;

Burning canvas shoes

According to the European Commission, Spain&#39;s gas and electricity prices were the third and fourth highest respectively in the European Union last year. &quot;We are above the European average (in terms of fuel poverty) despite having much better weather,&quot; says Jose Luis Lopez, spokesman for the Association of Environmental Science. There is no nationwide law on the issue, but several regions have implemented measures to try and address it.

In the northeastern region of Catalonia, for instance, a law stipulates that utility companies must notify social services before cutting electricity or gas, and if the family or person struggling to pay is classified as vulnerable, they are banned from doing so. But the law is not always respected, as was the case for Rosa, with utility firm Gas Natural acknowledging it had not contacted social services.

Lopez estimates that some 7,100 people die every year due to fuel poverty. Firefighters in Catalonia have also warned of the security risks involved.

&quot;We have come across people heating themselves with small fires made from newspapers or even canvas shoes,&quot; said union spokesman Antonio del Rio. Spain may be emerging from the crisis, but at least 600,000 households saw their electricity supply cut off last year, according to the Facua consumer association.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot of talk about recovery, but on the street you don&#39;t see it anywhere,&quot; said Pedro Martinez.

(AFP)

The economic crisis, widespread job loss and the soaring costs of energy have all conspired to put millions in Spain into energy poverty

Pedro and Mohamed await every utility bill with much angst. To reduce the money they have to pay, they live in the dark, without heating, or shower just once a week -- victims like millions in Spain of energy poverty. Welfare associations have for years warned against this situation, but the death earlier this month of 81-year-old Rosa in a fire caused by a candle she used for light has brought the issue firmly to the fore. Socialist lawmaker Pilar Lucio asked the ruling conservative government to immediately implement a "winter truce" on companies cutting power to those who cannot pay -- a measure with majority support in parliament and encouraged in a 2009 EU directive. Last year, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute, 10.6 per cent of Spaniards were unable to properly heat their homes -- or more than four million people -- compared to just 5.9 per cent in 2008, when an economic crisis kicked off. At fault are the economic crisis and widespread loss of jobs it caused, as well as a 30- to 50-per cent rise in utility prices since 2006. "Luxury" items Pedro Martinez, 48, has been in this situation for several years. Unemployed since 2013, when the furniture company he was working for closed, he survives on a pension of 426 euros ($450) a month, and what remains of the compensation he received for being fired. Divorced, he lives with his 20-year-old son and 23-year-old mentally impaired daughter in a working-class district of Barcelona, without heating and using electric light only when absolutely necessary. "It's tough in winter. We just have an electric heater, which we rarely switch on for fear of the bill," he says. "The cold chills you to the bone. We wear coats and at night we use all the blankets we have." Tere Bermudez, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic charity Caritas, says that "for many families, water, light and gas are luxury items". She says that from 2007 to 2015, the organisation multiplied by 30 the number of utility bills it helped pay. One of its beneficiaries is Mohamed Chairi, a 37-year-old Moroccan. Unemployed, his family lives off the monthly 250 euros from his wife's cleaning work as well as help from charities. "We shower once a week, on Fridays, so that the kids are clean at the weekend," the father-of-three says. In the corner of the living room of his small flat in Badalona near Barcelona, his youngest son plays with a broken electric radiator. Chairi has just received his electricity bill -- 24 euros for the month, a small sum for Spain but huge for him. "The rent alone is 440 euros," he says. "If I have to suffer from hunger or go without light or water, I don't care, but the kids...". Burning canvas shoes According to the European Commission, Spain's gas and electricity prices were the third and fourth highest respectively in the European Union last year. "We are above the European average (in terms of fuel poverty) despite having much better weather," says Jose Luis Lopez, spokesman for the Association of Environmental Science. There is no nationwide law on the issue, but several regions have implemented measures to try and address it. In the northeastern region of Catalonia, for instance, a law stipulates that utility companies must notify social services before cutting electricity or gas, and if the family or person struggling to pay is classified as vulnerable, they are banned from doing so. But the law is not always respected, as was the case for Rosa, with utility firm Gas Natural acknowledging it had not contacted social services. Lopez estimates that some 7,100 people die every year due to fuel poverty. Firefighters in Catalonia have also warned of the security risks involved. "We have come across people heating themselves with small fires made from newspapers or even canvas shoes," said union spokesman Antonio del Rio. Spain may be emerging from the crisis, but at least 600,000 households saw their electricity supply cut off last year, according to the Facua consumer association. "There's a lot of talk about recovery, but on the street you don't see it anywhere," said Pedro Martinez. (AFP)

Light, water, heat a luxury in Spain

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that &quot;horrific&quot; terror attacks in Europe were having a &quot;tangible impact&quot; on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. 
 
Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). 
 
&quot;Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe,&quot; chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly,&quot; finance director Simone Menne said. 
 
The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. 
 
Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered &quot;a complete recovery as not likely anymore.&quot; Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. 
 
Air France-KLM&#39;s chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and &quot;most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters&quot;. 
 
A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world&#39;s top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. 
 
That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. 
 
In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. 
 
Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. 
 
A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that &quot;there haven&#39;t been any cancellations&quot; in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe&#39;s biggest economy. 
 
But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The weak profits for the airline have come in despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that "horrific" terror attacks in Europe were having a "tangible impact" on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). "Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe," chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly," finance director Simone Menne said. The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered "a complete recovery as not likely anymore." Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. Air France-KLM's chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and "most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters". A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world's top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that "there haven't been any cancellations" in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe's biggest economy. But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. (AFP)

Lufthansa says terror attacks impacting business

Solar Impulse 2 yesterday neared the end of its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy. 
 
When the experimental aircraft touches down in Abu Dhabi it will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey across four continents, two oceans and three seas. 
 
Solar Impulse 2 was expected to enter UAE airspace at around 1.30 am local time on Tuesday (2130 GMT Monday), and land in Abu Dhabi at around 4 am (0000 GMT). 
 
With Swiss explorer and project director Bertrand Piccard in the cockpit, it is due to arrive at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE capital where it began its historic series of flights on March 9, 2015. 
 
&quot;My deepest admiration and respect for your courage,&quot; UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon told Piccard in a live-streamed conversation. &quot;This is a historic day not only for you but for humanity.&quot; 
 
By 1900 GMT yesterday, Solar Impulse 2 had travelled more than 2,500 kilometres in nearly 44 hours on its final leg, flying over the Gulf after crossing the vast Saudi desert and Qatar&#39;s northern tip. 
 
The aircraft was some 100 kilometres from touchdown at Abu Dhabi. 
 
Monaco mission control said it was in a holding pattern at 11,000 feet awaiting ideal landing conditions. 
 
Dubbed the &quot;paper plane&quot;, Solar Impulse 2 has been circumnavigating the globe in stages, with 58-year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seat aircraft. 
 
It took off from Cairo on the final leg early on Sunday, having previously crossed Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa. 
 
&#39;Achieve the impossible&#39; 
 
Borschberg, 63, smashed the record for the longest uninterrupted journey in aviation history with the 8,924-kilometre flight between Nagoya, Japan and Hawaii that lasted nearly 118 hours. 
 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The last <a href="https://twitter.com/solarimpulse">@solarimpulse</a> flight today w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/bertrandpiccard">@bertrandpiccard</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Si2?src=hash">#Si2</a>. The adventure began 13 years ago... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/futureisclean?src=hash">#futureisclean</a> <a href="https://t.co/DNE1Snwpii">pic.twitter.com/DNE1Snwpii</a>
&mdash; Andr? Borschberg (@andreborschberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/andreborschberg/status/757006478746259457">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
 
No heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the four-engine battery-powered aircraft relies on around 17,000 solar cells embedded in its wings. 
 
Its broad wings and light weight make it particularly sensitive to turbulence. 
 
The plane has clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour. 
 
The pilots use oxygen tanks to breathe at high altitude and wear suits specially designed to cope with the extreme conditions. 
 
They have had to withstand temperatures inside the tiny cockpit ranging from minus 20 degrees C (minus 4 degrees F) to plus 35 degrees C (plus 95 degrees F). 
 
The plane, equipped with a parachute and life raft in case of accident, flew at an altitude exceeding 30,000 feet (9,144 metres) over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. 
 
Piccard has said he launched the project in 2003 to show that renewable energy &quot;can achieve the impossible&quot;. 
 
His dream looks set to come true, but it has taken much longer than planned. 
 
The attempt was initially expected to last five months, including 25 days of actual flying. 
 
- &#39;For a better world&#39; - 
 
But the aircraft was grounded in July last year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip. 
 
The project has also been beset by bad weather and illness which forced Piccard to delay the final leg. 
 
While in the air, the pilot is constantly in contact with mission control in Monaco, where a team of weathermen, mathematicians and engineers monitors the route and prepares flight strategies. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a project for energy, for a better world,&quot; Piccard told journalists in Cairo before taking off on the final leg. 
 
A psychiatrist who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, Piccard had warned that the last leg would be difficult because of the high temperatures. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been two hours now I&#39;m flying into high up and down drafts. And I can&#39;t even drink. It&#39;s really exhausting...&quot; he tweeted on Sunday. 
 
Speaking to the BBC from the cockpit, Piccard described the final stage as a &quot;fantastic moment&quot; and likened the plane to a &quot;flying laboratory&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are testing all these new, clean and modern technologies in order to fly with an endless endurance,&quot; he said. 
 
While the pilots do not expect commercial solar-powered planes any time soon, they hope the project will help spur wider progress in clean energy. 
 
&quot;We have new insulation material, new LED lamps, we have new extremely light carbon fibre structures... All this can be used now on the ground,&quot; dividing &quot;by two the energy consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions of the world&quot;, Piccard said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a complete revolution in the protection of the environment.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Solar Impulse 2 will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey without a drop of fuel when it touches down in Abu Dhabi

Solar Impulse 2 yesterday neared the end of its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy. When the experimental aircraft touches down in Abu Dhabi it will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey across four continents, two oceans and three seas. Solar Impulse 2 was expected to enter UAE airspace at around 1.30 am local time on Tuesday (2130 GMT Monday), and land in Abu Dhabi at around 4 am (0000 GMT). With Swiss explorer and project director Bertrand Piccard in the cockpit, it is due to arrive at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE capital where it began its historic series of flights on March 9, 2015. "My deepest admiration and respect for your courage," UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon told Piccard in a live-streamed conversation. "This is a historic day not only for you but for humanity." By 1900 GMT yesterday, Solar Impulse 2 had travelled more than 2,500 kilometres in nearly 44 hours on its final leg, flying over the Gulf after crossing the vast Saudi desert and Qatar's northern tip. The aircraft was some 100 kilometres from touchdown at Abu Dhabi. Monaco mission control said it was in a holding pattern at 11,000 feet awaiting ideal landing conditions. Dubbed the "paper plane", Solar Impulse 2 has been circumnavigating the globe in stages, with 58-year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seat aircraft. It took off from Cairo on the final leg early on Sunday, having previously crossed Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa. 'Achieve the impossible' Borschberg, 63, smashed the record for the longest uninterrupted journey in aviation history with the 8,924-kilometre flight between Nagoya, Japan and Hawaii that lasted nearly 118 hours. The last @solarimpulse flight today w/ @bertrandpiccard in #Si2. The adventure began 13 years ago... #futureisclean pic.twitter.com/DNE1Snwpii — Andr? Borschberg (@andreborschberg) July 24, 2016 No heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the four-engine battery-powered aircraft relies on around 17,000 solar cells embedded in its wings. Its broad wings and light weight make it particularly sensitive to turbulence. The plane has clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour. The pilots use oxygen tanks to breathe at high altitude and wear suits specially designed to cope with the extreme conditions. They have had to withstand temperatures inside the tiny cockpit ranging from minus 20 degrees C (minus 4 degrees F) to plus 35 degrees C (plus 95 degrees F). The plane, equipped with a parachute and life raft in case of accident, flew at an altitude exceeding 30,000 feet (9,144 metres) over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Piccard has said he launched the project in 2003 to show that renewable energy "can achieve the impossible". His dream looks set to come true, but it has taken much longer than planned. The attempt was initially expected to last five months, including 25 days of actual flying. - 'For a better world' - But the aircraft was grounded in July last year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip. The project has also been beset by bad weather and illness which forced Piccard to delay the final leg. While in the air, the pilot is constantly in contact with mission control in Monaco, where a team of weathermen, mathematicians and engineers monitors the route and prepares flight strategies. "It's a project for energy, for a better world," Piccard told journalists in Cairo before taking off on the final leg. A psychiatrist who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, Piccard had warned that the last leg would be difficult because of the high temperatures. "It's been two hours now I'm flying into high up and down drafts. And I can't even drink. It's really exhausting..." he tweeted on Sunday. Speaking to the BBC from the cockpit, Piccard described the final stage as a "fantastic moment" and likened the plane to a "flying laboratory". "We are testing all these new, clean and modern technologies in order to fly with an endless endurance," he said. While the pilots do not expect commercial solar-powered planes any time soon, they hope the project will help spur wider progress in clean energy. "We have new insulation material, new LED lamps, we have new extremely light carbon fibre structures... All this can be used now on the ground," dividing "by two the energy consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions of the world", Piccard said. "It's a complete revolution in the protection of the environment." (AFP)

Solar plane nears end of historic round-the-world trip

fuel

Fuel, News on Fuel, stories on Fuel, articles on Fuel, Fuel stories at Wion, Fuel news, Fuel latest news