Global demand for fuel additives will increase 4.7%/year to 26.5 million tonnes in 2016, with demand in value terms advancing 8%/year to $59.4 billion. Total fuel-additive demand in volume terms is heavily dominated by gasoline oxygenates, such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). In 2011, ether oxygenates accounted for 94% of total demand.

These and other trends are presented a new study marketed by the Freedonia Group Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

Excluding oxygenates, the study says, global demand for specialty fuel additives will expand 3.6%/year to 1.5 million tonnes in 2016. The rapidly expanding fuel market in China will affect the growth of fuel additives, particularly as China’s fuel standards become stricter and additive treat rates rise.

The recent power agreement signing between Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) and General Electric (GE) is raising critical questions in the critical power sector in Nigeria. Will this partnership finally transform the power sector or will it become yet another pipe dream in the nation’s long quest for uninterrupted power supply?

GE, a global leader in the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of technology and services for the power sector, was emphatic on its commitment to the generation of 10,000MW of power in Nigeria in coming 10 years in obedience to the March 2012 agreement with the Federal Government.

When looking at the global energy scene, it is important to consider where we are today, where we might be going, and how we might get there. For OPEC, this is laid out every year in its World Oil Outlook.
The most recent version of this was published at the end of 2011. In its Reference Case, energy demand increases by more than 50% between 2010 and 2035. And over the same timeframe, world population is expected to expand from 6.9 billion to almost 8.6 billion.

Exploiting the world’s vast resources of unconventional natural gas holds the key to a golden age of gas, but for that to happen governments, industry and other stakeholders must work together to address legitimate public concerns about the associated environmental and social impacts.
A special World Energy Outlook report on unconventional gas, Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas, released in London by the International Energy Agency, presents a set of “Golden Rules” to meet those concerns.