Ord River to join Chinese partner to build Laos refinery
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Ord-River-signs-MoU-to-build-Laos-refinery-HF4HZ?OpenDocument


Ord River Resources Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with its Chinese construction partner to develop a $US600 million ($A565.72 million) alumina refinery in Laos.

Ord River says it is working to turn the MoU between its subsidiary, Sino Australian Resources Co Ltd (SARCO), and China Non-Ferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering & Construction Co Ltd (NFC) into a binding contract to construct the 600,000 tonne per annum refinery.

Under the MoU, NFC will deliver a fully operational refinery to SARCO within two years, for a fixed total price of $US1,000 per tonne of capacity.

"We are very pleased with this key development for SARCO," Ord River said in a statement.

"The fixed price and fixed delivery time terms are competitive and provide the highest level of cost certainty."

"The fixed price turnkey arrangement can effectively remove main technical risks and reduce overall risk of the project."

Shares in Ord River had shot up 14.13 per cent, or 1.3 cents, to 10.5 cents by 1151 AEST.

The company says it expects Chinese banks to finance SARCO at competitive rates, in light of the cost certainty.

Ord River controls 49 per cent of SARCO and NFC owns 51 per cent.

Ord River also plans to raise $200 million in an initial public offering of SARCO, due later this year, to finance construction of the alumina refinery in Laos.

Good news for Laos.
;)

How about oil refinery?  Oil refinery in Laos would really help with the gas price and should lower transportation costs of commodities.  $6/gallon is rediculous in Laos.

I think they're working on oil refinery too. Gasoline is the problem and cause inflation. Laos has to imported all of it oil, and being a landlock doesn't help.
:)

Does the government trying to find oil deposits below the surface in Laos?

I'm not sure about oil deposits in Laos. I don't think Laos have any.
;)

llX wrote on 4^th Jun, 2011 at 7:27am:

I'm not sure about oil deposits in Laos. I don't think Laos have any. ;)

Now that they have the refinery support, we'll just have to wait to see if there's anything at all below the country's surface.  If it does, then this could be the turn around Laos needed.  

Oil or gas deposits occur only in ancient marine sedimentary rocks and Laos does have sedimentary rocks below the surface and these same sedimentary rocks extend up to China and to offshore China in South China Sea.  Several oil companies are currently exploring for oil or gas below the waters of South China Sea.  With that in mind, there should be oil or gas deposits below Laos and we do not really know if these deposits are economically feasible to look for.  We just have to explore if they are economical to suck them out and if they are economical, Laos would have annual revenues in the billions USD ;).  It's possible than some rock below may contain several billion barrels of oil.

Maybe they have something that why China invested $600 million.
;)



OMD wrote on 5^th Jun, 2011 at 2:34am:

llX wrote on 4th Jun, 2011 at 7:27am: I'm not sure about oil deposits in Laos. I don't think Laos have any. ;) Now that they have the refinery support, we'll just have to wait to see if there's anything at all below the country's surface.  If it does, then this could be the turn around Laos needed.

It would've been nice if they found something. Oil and natural gas is expensive in Laos.
:)


PEACE wrote on 5^th Jun, 2011 at 3:08am:

Oil or gas deposits occur only in ancient marine sedimentary rocks and Laos does have sedimentary rocks below the surface and these same sedimentary rocks extend up to China and to offshore China in South China Sea.  Several oil companies are currently exploring for oil or gas below the waters of South China Sea.  With that in mind, there should be oil or gas deposits below Laos and we do not really know if these deposits are economically feasible to look for.  We just have to explore if they are economical to suck them out and if they are economical, Laos would have annual revenues in the billions USD ;).  It's possible than some rock below may contain several billion barrels of oil.

Then Lao PDR should investigate more what else is beneath the surface besides gold, aluminum and etc. to be sold so to generate more revenues for the country.


llX wrote on 5^th Jun, 2011 at 7:20am:

It would've been nice if they found something. Oil and natural gas is expensive in Laos. :) PEACE wrote on 5th Jun, 2011 at 3:08am: Oil or gas deposits occur only in ancient marine sedimentary rocks and Laos does have sedimentary rocks below the surface and these same sedimentary rocks extend up to China and to offshore China in South China Sea.  Several oil companies are currently exploring for oil or gas below the waters of South China Sea.  With that in mind, there should be oil or gas deposits below Laos and we do not really know if these deposits are economically feasible to look for.  We just have to explore if they are economical to suck them out and if they are economical, Laos would have annual revenues in the billions USD ;).  It's possible than some rock below may contain several billion barrels of oil.

I think government is working on and looking for everything underground.
;)


PEACE wrote on 6^th Jun, 2011 at 2:04am:

Then Lao PDR should investigate more what else is beneath the surface besides gold, aluminum and etc. to be sold so to generate more revenues for the country. llX wrote on 5th Jun, 2011 at 7:20am: It would've been nice if they found something. Oil and natural gas is expensive in Laos. :) PEACE wrote on 5th Jun, 2011 at 3:08am: Oil or gas deposits occur only in ancient marine sedimentary rocks and Laos does have sedimentary rocks below the surface and these same sedimentary rocks extend up to China and to offshore China in South China Sea.  Several oil companies are currently exploring for oil or gas below the waters of South China Sea.  With that in mind, there should be oil or gas deposits below Laos and we do not really know if these deposits are economically feasible to look for.  We just have to explore if they are economical to suck them out and if they are economical, Laos would have annual revenues in the billions USD ;).  It's possible than some rock below may contain several billion barrels of oil.

Do you know what type of coverage area do they accomplish per day to detect and clear UXOs?  There should be statistics somewhere.

I had read an article it say only 1% of UXO had been clear. It's under fund, they need at least $15 million a year but only get $7 million. With the rates it going they say it might take 1000 year to clear all the UXO from Laos.
;)

Lao UXO?

Oil refinery?

Strange suggestion for a landlocked country thousands of miles away from the nearest exploitable oil reserves.

PEACE wrote on 7^th Jun, 2011 at 3:27am:

Do you know what type of coverage area do they accomplish per day to detect and clear UXOs?  There should be statistics somewhere.

Laos has the highest concentration of unexploded cluster munitions in the world. An estimated 270 million bomblets were dropped on the country's north and east between 1964 and 1973 by US planes. About a third of these failed to explode and remain a potent hazard to this day.

A survey of nearly 8,500 villages in 2008 revealed around 50,000 people had been killed or injured by unexploded bombs since the mid-60s. This toll has risen by hundreds over the past few years, as people collecting scrap metal continue to join the list of victims.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/07/opinion/Helping-the-healing-process-in-munitions-strewn-La-30157135.html


The debris from the war is so substantial and widespread the Lao government has only been able to clear about 1 per cent of the country, or about 19,000 hectares. Officials estimate it will need US$30 million a year to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the war.

According to the Lao Geology site, the subsurface geology consists of marine sedimentary rocks of 20-200 million years ago and these same rock units presumably extend through Vietnam and the South China Sea to the east, where oil/or gas is being explored and exploited from some of these rock units.  

Very good observation and of course we assume that there are exploitable and 'economical' oil reserves located at some depth at the subsurface below Laos to have the oil refinery to be built in the country and be less depedence in getting gas from other neighbouring nations.  This will definitely lowers the gasoline and commodity costs in the country.

They just have explore first if there are something down there.


Laosnow wrote on 8^th Jun, 2011 at 4:32am:

Oil refinery? Strange suggestion for a landlocked country thousands of miles away from the nearest exploitable oil reserves.

$30 million is still too low.  


llX wrote on 8^th Jun, 2011 at 6:38am:

PEACE wrote on 7th Jun, 2011 at 3:27am: Do you know what type of coverage area do they accomplish per day to detect and clear UXOs?  There should be statistics somewhere. Laos has the highest concentration of unexploded cluster munitions in the world. An estimated 270 million bomblets were dropped on the country's north and east between 1964 and 1973 by US planes. About a third of these failed to explode and remain a potent hazard to this day. A survey of nearly 8,500 villages in 2008 revealed around 50,000 people had been killed or injured by unexploded bombs since the mid-60s. This toll has risen by hundreds over the past few years, as people collecting scrap metal continue to join the list of victims. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/07/opinion/Helping-the-healing-process-in-munitions-strewn-La-30157135.html The debris from the war is so substantial and widespread the Lao government has only been able to clear about 1 per cent of the country, or about 19,000 hectares. Officials estimate it will need US$30 million a year to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the war.

Lao government needed $30 million, but only recieved $7 million a year from donors. Laos should be getting $100 million a year, and U.S should be paying for all of it. Clearing UXO also created jobs for the locals.
;)

llX wrote on 9^th Jun, 2011 at 3:59am:

Lao government needed $30 million, but only recieved $7 million a year from donors. Laos should be getting $100 million a year, and U.S should be paying for all of it. Clearing UXO also created jobs for the locals. ;)

Why would they want to do that?

U.S drop bomb in Laos so they should clean it up. Maybe Laos have a case in world court.

Another thing is Western nation don't really like to supported Communism that's why the fund to removed UXO is small.
;) :)



Larb Dip wrote on 10^th Jun, 2011 at 5:07am:

llX wrote on 9th Jun, 2011 at 3:59am: Lao government needed $30 million, but only recieved $7 million a year from donors. Laos should be getting $100 million a year, and U.S should be paying for all of it. Clearing UXO also created jobs for the locals. ;) Why would they want to do that?

The story is from 2010. The sum raised is just a drop in the bucket compared to what governments hand out, but this is donation is made on behalf of a school. I'm sure the funds were just as welcome, none the less.

http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2010/11/04/rangitoto-college-donates-to-victims/

Students at Rangitoto College in Auckland have raised NZ$4,000 (USD $3,046) for victims of cluster munitions, landmines, and other explosive remnants of war.  The donation will be handed over next week to a victim assistance organisation in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) by the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC).

“We’re please that this donation can be given to people who have directly suffered from the deadly effects of cluster bombs and other explosive remnants of war,” said Mary Wareham, ANZCMC Coordinator. “We hope that it can matched by an even bigger contribution by the New Zealand government,” she added.

With over 3,000 students Rangitoto College, located on Auckland’s North Shore, is New Zealand’s largest secondary school. A mufti-day held earlier in 2010 raised NZ $4,000 (USD $3,046) through gold coin donations from students and staff. Since 2007, twenty-one Year 10 (Form 4) social studies classes at Rangitoto College have been studying the topic of landmines and cluster munitions in the fourth term of each year.

Wareham is taking the donation to Laos, where it will be handed over to the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) located at the National Rehabilitation Center in the capital of Vientiane. COPE is the only provider of prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation services in Laos, servicing people affected by disability from unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other causes.

In 2009, COPE made and fitted 1,264 orthotic/prosthetic devices and 400 wheelchairs/tricycles. Approximately 40% of COPE patients have been injured by unexploded ordnance (UXO), which poses a significant problem in many villages particularly to children and people trying to make a living from collecting scrap metal.

The donation from Rangitoto College is likely to help many persons with disabilities in Laos. According to COPE, it costs US$50 to produce a prosthetic leg (below knee) so the US$3,000 donation equates to 60 new artificial legs.

The government of Laos is hosting the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane from 9-12 November 2010.  Dozens of states are expected to attend this first formal meeting of the convention, including New Zealand, which will be represented by Hon. Georgina Te Heuheu, Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control.

Thanks for the nice article.

Here are their site and contact if anyone interested in donating or organizing a fundraising activity:

http://www.copelaos.org/fundraising.php

cope@laopdr.com

Very nice. Thank for the article Larb Dip.
;)