VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Geneva-based Vitol Group is thinking of making a bid for some of Royal Dutch Shell's downstream operations in Australia, according to sources interviewed by Bloomberg.

Texas, US-based private investment firm TPG Capital is in a tussle with two other potential buyers of the Australian assets of Netherlands-based petrol and refining firm Royal Dutch Shell, according to a report.

Oil and gas companies in the West, like that of Scotland-based Weir Group, are heading to China to bet on the birth of the country's shale gas industry, the Financial Times reported.

Bankers expressed their doubts that Royal Dutch Shell's 23.1% stake in Woodside Petroleum could be snatched up by bigger oil companies as the latter are also eyeing to sell assets as well.

Solar Frontier, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese petroleum company Showa Shell Sekiyu, will be investing ¥13 billion ($125 million) to construct a solar panel plant in Japan's Miyagi prefecture.

Royal Dutch Shell's exit of its stake in Australia-based Woodside Petroleum Ltd may enable Asian buyers, particularly China, to get a stake of or even acquire the whole company, Bloomberg reported.

Seven years after petroleum companies Chevron Corp and PetroChina entered into a joint venture agreement, the USD6.4 billion Chuandongbei gas project faces further delay. It is now expected to deliver gas in the second half of next year.

ONGC Videsh Ltd, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's overseas arm, has bid for 3 out of 13 Sri Lankan oil and gas blocks in the Mannar basin.

Royal Dutch Shell South Africa GM Jan Willem Eggink confirmed the well drilling as well as the conduct of an environmental impact study.

In order to block the bid of Sinochem, OVL and Shell filed notice of purchase on the USD1.543 billion oil block interest from Petrobras.

Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Royal Dutch Shell would be selling its Eagle Ford unit in South Texas.

The Telegraph reported that Royal Dutch Shell had postponed its refinery project worth USD 1.3 billion in eastern China.

Local and foreign oil firms in Iraq would be keeping low profiles as tensions regarding a possible Syria strike retaliation looms over Iraq.

A source told Reuters that the European Union Commission will approve Swedish oil refiner Nynas and Royal Dutch Shell's deal despite antitrust concerns.

Hess Corp and Newfields Exploration Co receive substantial offers for Asian assets.