AEC Feed

Thai energy company PTT is investigating a shutdown at a natural gas field in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (JDA) in the Gulf of Thailand, it said.
PTT said Sunday it is also carrying out relief measures to power plants and gas stations after the JDA’s A-18 block stopped operating on Saturday. Operations have yet to resume, but PTT said the shutdown is temporary.
“PTT will be cooperating with producers and managing damages to be minimal for all sectors,” Noppadol Pinsupa, vice president of PTT’s gas business unit, said in a statement.
The A-18 block is operated by PTT and Malaysia's Petronas Carigali and produces about 440 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, according to PTT.
The shutdown affected two power plants in the Chana district in southern Thailand, which usually receives about 180 million cubic feet a day from the JDA. The plants will be supplied with diesel fuel in the meantime, PTT said.
PTT also said it will supply 5 million cubic feet per day of substitute NGV gas to 10 of 16 affected gas stations in five provinces and 255 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from other sources to eastern Thailand. – The Star 

IFC backs more sustainable hydropower development
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is seeking consultations with its development partners from public and private sectors, and the international development community to make Laos’ hydropower sector more sustainable.
This is because the country’s socio economic development and steady growth of the Lao economy is heavily dependent on revenue collection from the energy sector, especially hydroelectricity. Last week, IFC’s partners from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) alongside private sector representatives and members from the international development community joined to discuss progress made in environmental and social sustainability in Laos’ hydropower sector over the past five years.
IFC’s Environmental and Social Hydro Advisory Kate Lazarus told Vientiane Times on that IFC’s environmental and social hydro advisory programme started in 2012 and is now ending its first phase in the Lao PDR. – Vientiane Times

Bank Agris denies BCA acquisition rumour
Publicly listed Indonesian lender Bank Agris has underlined that it is not seeking new investors, denying a market rumour saying that it is in negotiations with Bank Central Asia (BCA) for acquisition.
Bank Agris president commissioner Paulus Nurwadono said the Financial Service Authority (OJK) had told the bank to increase capital, but replied that it would not do so in the near future due to current economic conditions.
“We never had a plan for corporate action, such as share offerings or finding strategic partners. While we’re still in the Buku I category, we will keep focusing on agriculture, poultry and fisheries,” Paulus said in a press conference in Jakarta, referring to the term used to categorise banks with a Core Capital of less than 1 trillion rupiah (US$75 million).
BCA president director Jahja Setiaatmadja recently said the firm planned to acquire two small banks in the Buku 1 category in the second half of 2017. Eyeing those with strong portfolios in the retail and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) segment, BCA has set aside 3 trillion rupiah for the acquisition.
BCA’s plan has sparked speculative buying over Bank Agris’ shares, which rocketed by 291.23 percent in the last three months, for it currently has |a core capital of 580 billion rupiah. |– The Jakarta Post

Maybank to postpone rights issue as loan growth cools
Private lender Maybank Indonesia plans to postpone its rights issue plan on the back of flat loan growth in the first two quarters. Its loan disbursement did not make any significant moves in the first quarter and the publicly listed lender is anticipating a similar result in the second quarter. 
“If the loan growth stays the same in the second half, we probably won’t need to carry out the rights this year. Maybe in 2018,” Maybank finance director Thilagavathy Nadason said recently. 
Maybank – part of Malaysia’s Maybank Group – has disbursed 114.2 trillion rupiah (US$8.57 billion) in loans as of March, only 5.7 percent higher compared to a year ago. – The Jakarta Post