Blog – Full Width | AEA-Albania Energy Association

November 25, 2015

by AEA

Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries

On 24 November 2015, the 4th Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (hereinafter referred to as “CEECs”) was held in Suzhou, China. Premier Li Keqiang of the People’s Republic of China, President Andrzej Duda of the Republic of Poland, Prime Minister Edi Rama of the Republic of Albania, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov of the Republic of Bulgaria, Speaker of Parliament Josip Leko of the Republic of Croatia, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Taavi Roivas of the Republic of Estonia, Prime Minister Orban Viktor of Hungary, Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma of the Republic of Latvia, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius of the Republic of Lithuania, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the Republic of Macedonia, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic of the Republic of Serbia, Prime Minister Miro Cerar of the Republic of Slovenia, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Commerce and Relations with the Business Environment Costin Borc of Romania and Deputy Prime Minister Lubomir Vazny of the Slovak Republic attended the meeting. They expressed appreciation and gratitude to China for the efforts it had made as the host country to ensure the success of the meeting. Representatives of other parties, including the EU, Austria and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, were present as observers.

Participants at the meeting (hereinafter referred to as “the Participants”) commended the substantial progress that had been made in the past year in the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (hereinafter referred to as “16+1 cooperation”), in particular in the implementation of the Belgrade Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (see Annex), welcomed and supported the important agreement between the Chinese and EU leaders on establishing the China-EU Connectivity Platform, as well as on developing synergies between the Belt and Road initiative of China and the Investment Plan for Europe, and between 16+1 cooperation and China-EU relations. The Participants expressed their readiness to seize these opportunities and work together to further advance 16+1 cooperation.

The Participants jointly formulated and issued, on the theme of “New Beginning, New Domains, New Vision” , the Suzhou Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries.

1. The Participants support Latvia in hosting the 5th China-CEEC Summit in 2016.

2. The Participants welcome the Medium-Term Agenda for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries issued during the 4th China-CEEC Summit, and are ready to implement it in light of their respective realities, needs and priorities.

3. 16+1 National Coordinators’ Meetings will be held in China and Latvia respectively in 2016.

4. The Participants support the establishment of a mechanism of quarterly meetings between the Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (hereinafter referred to as “the Secretariat”), its member organizations and CEEC embassies in China. The Participants support more efficient use of the Secretariat’s website.

5. Cooperation on Connectivity

(1) The Participants note that the cooperation document on the Belt and Road initiative was signed between the governments of China and Hungary and that there is an interest to have similar documents between China and other CEECs, with a view to enhancing cooperation on regional connectivity.

(2) The Participants welcome the commencement of the regular express cargo railway transit from China to Poland. The Participants encourage and support similar links between China and other CEECs and appreciate the efforts assuring possibility that the goods could be transported in both directions. The Participants support the further development of the Eurasian Land Bridge and welcome the establishment of logistic centers in CEECs.

(3) The Participants appreciate the major progress that has been made in the modernization of the railway line connecting Budapest and Belgrade and welcome the joint efforts of the relevant parties for early completion of the project.

(4) The Participants welcome China, Hungary, Serbia and Macedonia in organizing the 2nd working group meeting and a workshop under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in Facilitating Customs Clearance Among the Chinese, Hungarian, Serbian and Macedonian Customs in Budapest in 2016, streamlining customs clearance procedures for goods in transit and means of transport and increasing cooperation on customs clearance facilitation for the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line.

(5) More CEEC customs are encouraged to take part in the third phase of the China-EU Smart and Secure Trade Lanes Pilot Project.

(6) The Participants welcome and support Serbia in leading the efforts to establish a China-CEEC association on transport and infrastructure cooperation and welcome the participation of relevant Chinese and CEEC institutions, businesses and organizations on a voluntary basis.

(7) The Participants welcome and support Latvia in leading the efforts to establish a China-CEEC secretariat on logistics cooperation and welcome the participation of relevant Chinese and CEEC institutions, businesses and organizations on a voluntary basis.

(8) The Participants welcome the relaunch of direct flights between Beijing and Budapest and the launch of direct flights between Beijing and Prague in addition to existing Beijing-Warsaw connection. The Participants support deepening civil aviation cooperation between China and more CEECs.

(9) The 1st China-CEEC Transport Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Riga, Latvia, in 2016.

6. Economic and Financial Cooperation

(1) The 2nd China-CEEC Ministerial Meeting on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation will be held in Ningbo, China, in June 2016.

(2) The China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo will be held in Ningbo, China, in June 2016 during the China International Consumer Goods Fair.

(3) The 3rd Meeting of the China-CEEC Investment Promotion Agencies Contact Mechanism will be held in China in 2016.

(4) The Participants welcome and support Romania’s initiative of setting up a Center for Dialogue in energy-related projects. The 1st meeting of the Center will be organized in Romania in 2016.

(5) The Participants welcome and support the participation of Chinese and CEEC SMEs in the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair 2016.

(6) China will attend the Brno International Engineering Fair in the Czech Republic in 2016 as a partner country.

(7) The China Investment Forum will be held in the Czech Republic in 2016.

(8) The Participants welcome and support the organization of an economic forum focused on infrastructure, tourism and industrial capacity cooperation between China and CEECs, to be held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the first half of 2016.

(9) Qualified CEEC financial institutions are welcomed to apply to be indirect participants in the RMB Cross-border Inter-bank Payment System (Phase One).

(10) The Participants welcome the ongoing work leading to the signing of a statement of cooperation on crisis management between the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the Czech National Bank and the signing of an MoU on regulatory cooperation between the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.

7. Agricultural and Forestry Cooperation

(1) The 11th China-CEEC Agrotrade and Economic Cooperation Forum will be held in China in 2016, in conjunction with the 2nd meeting of the China-CEEC Association on Promoting Agricultural Cooperation.

(2) An exhibition area will be set aside for top-quality CEEC agro-products at the 14th China International Agricultural Trade Fair to be held in Yunnan Province, China, in the second half of 2016.

(3) The Chinese side will create a free-of-charge exhibition space for top-quality CEEC wines and spirits at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center.

(4) The Participants welcome the signing or the work leading to the signing of the relevant protocols on quarantine of animal and animal-originated products to be exported to China between China and Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia respectively. The Participants support China and more CEECs in expanding trade of agro-products and food.

(5) The Participants support Slovenia in leading the efforts to establish a China-CEEC coordination mechanism for forestry cooperation. The 1st China-CEEC High-Level Meeting on Cooperation in Forestry will be held in Slovenia in May 2016.

(6) The Participants welcome China and CEECs in signing agreements on strengthening cooperation in water resources and agricultural irrigation.

8. Cooperation on Science, Technology and Health

(1) The 3rd China-CEEC Seminar on Innovation, Technology Cooperation and International Technology Transfer will be held in China in 2016.

(2) The Participants encourage and support the establishment of a virtual China-CEEC technology transfer center, and the role of the secretariat will be assumed by the relevant Chinese and Slovak institutions.

(3) The Participants support the environment protection authorities of China and CEECs in enhancing exchanges under the framework of 16+1 cooperation and discussing the possibility of cooperation with a third party.

(4) The 2nd China-CEEC Health Ministers’ Forum will be held in China in 2016.

(5) CEEC health professionals will be invited to visit China in 2016 and to participate in seminars on global health diplomacy, healthcare system reforms and health promotion, with a view to strengthening academic and professional exchanges.

(6) CEEC medical and health businesses will be invited to China for exhibitions on health services and medical devices, with a view to promoting cooperation in the medical industry.

9. People-to-People Contacts and Cultural Exchanges

(1) The Secretariat will continue to invite senior CEEC officials for a trip to China in 2016.

(2) The 4th China-CEEC Education Policy Dialogue and the 3rd meeting of China-CEEC Higher Education Institutes Consortium will be held in China in 2016.

(3) A China-CEEC forum on cooperation in the field of art and the 2nd China-CEEC Summer Dance Camp will be held in China in 2016.

(4) Famous CEEC artists and composers as well as artistic directors of international opera festivals in CEECs will be invited to visit China in 2016.

(5) The Participants support China and CEECs in carrying out joint projects on translation and publication of each other’s literary works. China welcomes CEECs to be the Country of Honor as a group at the Beijing International Book Fair in 2016.

(6) The 1st China-CEEC Cultural and Creative Industries Forum will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2016.

(7) The 1st China-CEEC Experts’ Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held in Krakow, Poland, in 2016.

(8) The Participants welcome the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in leading the efforts to establish a China-CEEC think tanks network.

(9) The 4th China-CEEC High-Level Symposium of Thinks Tanks will be held in 2016.

(10) The Participants encourage and support mutual visits by Chinese and CEEC journalists in 2016.

(11) A China-CEEC seminar of sinologists will be held in 2016.

(12) The Participants welcome the organization of the Travel 2016 expo and the related professional conference in March 2016 in Budapest. China will participate in the expo as the Country of Honor. The Participants support the opening of the regional center of the China National Tourism Administration in Budapest.

(13) The 3rd China-CEEC High-Level Conference on Tourism Cooperation will be held in Croatia in 2016.

10. Cooperation at the Local Level

(1) The 3rd China-CEEC Local Leaders’ Meeting and the China (Hebei) International Economic and Trade Fair 2016 will be held in Hebei Province, China, in 2016.

(2) The 2nd working meeting of the China-CEEC Association of Provincial Governors will be held in Hebei Province, China, in 2016.

(3) The Participants encourage and support exchanges and cooperation between mayors of Chinese and CEEC capital cities.

Annex:

Implementation of the Measures of the Belgrade Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries

1. In January 2015, the customs clearance facilitation cooperation mechanism for the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line among the Chinese, Hungarian, Serbian, Macedonian and Greek Customs was officially established.

2. From February to October 2015, the Chinese Art Festival was held in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

3. In March 2015, the launch ceremony of the Year of Promotion of China-CEEC Tourism Cooperation was held in Budapest, Hungary.

4. In March 2015, the 1st working group meeting under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in Facilitating Customs Clearance Among the Chinese, Hungarian, Serbian and Macedonian Customs was held in Shanghai, China.

5. In April 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed the Special Representative for China-CEEC Cooperation.

6. In April 2015, the 1st meeting of the China-CEEC Business Council was held in Katowice, Poland.

7. In April 2015, the Riga High Level Conference on Transport and Logistics and the 3rd ASEM Transport Ministers’ Meeting was held in Riga, Latvia.

8. In May 2015, the 1st Customs Control Techniques Workshop for the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line among the Chinese, Hungarian, Serbian and Macedonian Customs was held in Shanghai, China.

9. In May 2015, the 33rd Meeting of the Central Bank Governors’ Club of the Central Asia, Black Sea Region and Balkan Countries was held in Shanghai, China.

10. In May 2015, the 1st Meeting of China-CEEC Association of Provincial Governors was held in Hebei Province, China.

11. In May 2015, the Beijing-Budapest regular flight was launched.

12. In May 2015, heads of customs of China, Hungary, Serbia and Macedonia met in Xi’an, China, and signed the Cooperation Action Plan for 2015-2016.

13. In May 2015, China and Hungary signed an MoU on nuclear energy cooperation.

14. From May to June 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture organized Chinese performing arts organizations to purchase programs from Hungary, Serbia and Romania.

15. In June 2015, a delegation of CEEC journalists visited Zhejiang Province, Henan Province and Beijing, China.

16. In June 2015, the 1st China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo was held in Ningbo, China.

17. In June 2015, the launch ceremony of the China-CEEC Association on Promoting Agricultural Cooperation and the 1st Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

18. In June 2015, the 1st China-CEEC Health Ministers’ Forum was held in Prague, the Czech Republic.

19. In June 2015, the 1st TCM center in the Czech Republic was established.

20. In June 2015, the cartoon series Panda and the Little Mole co-produced by China and the Czech Republic was premiered in the Czech Republic.

21. In July 2015, the 5th China-CEEC National Coordinators’ Meeting was held in Beijing, China.

22. In July 2015, a delegation of senior CEEC officials visited Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province and Beijing, China.

23. From July to August 2015, the 1st China-CEEC Summer Dance Camp was organized in Shaanxi Province, China.

24. In August 2015, Bank of China Prague Branch was opened.

25. From August to September 2015, the 2nd China-CEEC High-Level Conference on Tourism Cooperation was held in Bled, Slovenia.

26. In September 2015, the 10th China-CEEC Agrotrade and Economic Cooperation Forum was held in Budapest, Hungary.

27. In September 2015,the 3rd China-CEEC Education Policy Dialogue and the 2nd working consultation of the China-CEEC Higher Education Institutes Consortium were held in Warsaw, Poland.

28. In September 2015, the Beijing-Prague direct flight was launched.

29. In September 2015, the 2nd China-CEEC Seminar on Innovation, Technology Cooperation and International Technology Transfer was held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

30. In October 2015, an exhibition area dedicated to CEECs was created at the 11th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair in Guangzhou, China.

31. In October 2015, the Workshop on Customs Clearance Procedures of Transit Goods and Risk Management among the Chinese, Hungarian, Serbian and Macedonian Customs was held in Skopje, Macedonia.

32. In October 2015, a delegation of artistic directors of CEEC jazz festivals visited China.

33. In October 2015, the Seminar on Radio and Television Program Production for Central and Eastern European Countries was held in Shanghai and Hunan Province, China.

34. In October 2015, the 6th China-CEEC National Coordinators’ Meeting was held in Warsaw, Poland.

35. In October 2015, the 2nd China-CEEC Young Political Leaders’ Forum was held in China.

36. In November 2015, the 2nd China-CEEC Cultural Cooperation Forum was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

37. In November 2015, the China Investment Forum was held in Prague, the Czech Republic.

38. In November 2015, China and Slovenia signed an MoU on the establishment of the China-CEEC coordination mechanism for forestry cooperation.

39. The 3rd China-CEEC High-Level Symposium of Think Tanks will be held in Beijing, China, in December 2015.

40. China and Romania will sign a new agreement on avoidance of double taxation as appropriate; China signed cooperation agreements on education with the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania respectively; China signed cooperation agreements on quality inspection with Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia respectively; China signed documents on cultural exchanges and cooperation with Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia and Poland respectively; China signed with Romania an MoU regarding the relevant nuclear power project.

November 20, 2015

by AEA

Corinth Pipeworks to provide pipes for Greek section of TAP

Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) awarded a contract to Corinth Pipeworks S.A. who will provide approximately 495km of 48” diameter line pipes for the pipeline across Greece, TAP reported on November 20.

This contract award makes up approximately 270,000 tonnes of line pipe.

Corinth Pipeworks S.A. is a global supplier of high quality steel pipes for the energy and construction markets. Based in Greece, Corinth Pipeworks Group of Companies has subsidiaries in Greece, USA, Russia, Cyprus and Poland and a representative network of agencies, worldwide. Its Thisvi plant is located in Viotia, Greece and its annual production capacity amounts 1,000,000 tonnes, approximately.

TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Statoil (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).

TAP’s initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, expandable to 20 billion cubic meters per year.

November 18, 2015

by AEA

Assessing the performance of natural bitumen from Albania

The market for high modulus asphalt mixes has become very competitive in recent years, most notably in the segment for bitumen additives. Written by Edith Tartari, MSc Eng, electronics engineer with Selenice Bitumi in Albania.

The exploitation of natural asphalts as additives to modify the asphalt binders represents a growing challenge, especially in this moment when there is increasing demand for a more rational use of fossil fuels compatible with protection of the environment, ecosystems and the quality of human life.

Natural asphalts may represent a useful and economic alternative to the polymeric materials and other traditionally used modifiers of distillation bitumen, increasing the binder consistence, viscosity and stability. Their use allows superior performing asphalt pavements with higher values of stiffness and greater resistance to rutting and fatigue.

THE CHARACTER OF NATURAL BITUMEN

Research work was conducted by the University of Rome ‘’La Sapienza” on the characterisation of natural asphalts and their evaluation as modifiers, using rheological and thermal techniques. For the study, three of the most commonly used types of natural asphalt were selected: Gilsonite from Utah deposit (United States), Selenizza (Albania) and Trinidad Lake Asphalt (Central America).

To investigate the nature of the modification, 10% (in weight) of each natural asphalts was added to a standard penetration grade bitumen 80–100 and mixed at a minimum temperature of 150–180°C in order to guarantee the complete solubility.

Rheological analysis was carried out with a rotating rheometer under isochronal conditions, with temperature scanning. This was to assess viscoelastic behaviour in relatively high temperatures, as well as under isothermal conditions, with frequency scanning, for determining the characteristics in a low-temperature range. Trails were performed in the respective linear viscoelastic areas for each sample in order to apply the temperature-frequency equivalency principle and generate the master curves.

PENETRATION AND SOFTENING POINT

As expected, for the three cases, the resulting modified bitumen was characterised by higher softening point (R&B temperatures) and lower penetration values, compared to the original standard bitumen, due to the presence of high percentages of asphaltenes content in the natural asphalts.

Principal characteristics of the original bitumen and the modified products
Type of bitumen	Penetration at 25° (1/10 mm)	R&B Temp.	Asphaltenes content
Original bitumen	96	44	9.8
+ 10% Gilsonite	38	58	15.8
+ 10% Selenizza	67	52	13.0
+ 10% Trinidad	78	51	12.3

The table shows the principal characteristics of the original standard bitumen and the bitumen samples, modified with 10% of each type of natural asphalt. Furthermore, a proportional relationship was observed between the percentages of asphaltenes present in the modified samples of bitumen and the respective values of the softening point.

VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES, HIGH TEMPERATURES
This correlation implies that the rheological behaviour for medium and high temperatures (50–160°C), whose softening point represents the lower limit, is not a function of the modifier quality and depends exclusively on the asphaltenes content.

Viscosity values of the modified bitumen for this temperature range increase. But even if the viscosity curves shift upwards, their shape and the slope remain unchanged and they remain parallel to one another, for all sample types. This means that the modifiers don’t affect the internal interactions between the asphaltene components in the modified bitumen, which is a typical phenomenon for the compatible additives. Thus, despite the significant increase of asphaltenes content (from 25% to 60%), the thermal susceptibility remains unaltered.

VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES, LOW TEMPERATURES
For the low temperatures (10–60°C), the rheological modifications seem complex and are differentiated. The viscoelastic behaviour and the ductility of the modified samples, deduced from the master curves at 20°C and 60°C, are impacted by the quality of the natural bitumen (the bituminous component and the inorganic one, which, in this case, may perform the function of filler, decisive for the product performance). At T=20°, an inversion of the zero shear viscosity curves was observed.

During the modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) tests, the samples (7–10 mg), were subjected to a modulated heat flow, resulting from a sinusoidal temperature ripple overlaid on a linear temperature ramp, in the temperature range from -50°C to +160°C.

The system’s thermal response is composed of the reversing curve, inversely proportional to the heat capacity and the non-reversing curve, an undefined function of time and temperature. For the bitumen analysis, the reversible curve is more indicative as it highlights the various thermodynamic effects (glass transition, melting), while the non-reversing curve rather identifies the kinetic process.

The MDSC analysis, carried out with a calorimeter TA Instruments 2920, has shown that the rheological behaviour of the straight run bitumen has been modified by the addition of natural bitumen.

When comparing the softening temperatures obtained from different reversible curves of the original bitumen and the modified samples, it was observed that the addition of the natural asphalts Trinidad and Selenizza, affects the lower limit of the softening range of the straight-run bitumen.

Indeed, it was noticed that the total softening range of the original bitumen was composed of two different phases. The first one was due to the presence of the maltenic phase (lighter fraction) that melted at 55.8°C. The second one was due to the presence of the asphaltenic phase, melting at 67.8°C.

The maltenic phase of of both samples modified with Trinidad and Selenizza started to soften at lower temperature, for example about 45.9°C, due to the presence in the natural asphalts of different maltenic phases characterised by lower molar mass compared to the original bitumen. Meanwhile, the asphaltenic phases behaved independently. A dilution effect of the original bitumen was thus obtained.

In contrast, it was observed that the natural bitumen Gilsonite, does not act as a diluent. Its addition to the straight-run, bitumen had a negligible influence on the melting temperatures of different maltenic and aphaltenic phases of the original bitumen. But, on the other hand, it expands the softening range of the original bitumen to higher temperatures.

In conclusion, the study indicated that the modifications introduced by the addition of natural asphalts, operate in such a way as to increase the consistency, the viscosity and the stability of the original bitumen thus proving that the natural bitumen can represent an advantageous alternative to other additives for modifying the road pavement bitumen.

USE IN ROAD PROJECTS
Many examples of the implementation of road construction projects confirm the above-mentioned theoretical results.

During the construction of a 17.5km section of the A150 highway in France, the proposed project envisaged the implementation of a two-layer pavement structure consisting of a 6cm HMAC wearing course and a 12cm HMA binder course, over a PF3 sub-grade. With reference to the binder course, in order to meet the technical specifications according to the CE standard NF EN 13108-1, the project intended to use a recycled HMA base course EB 14 ASSISE 20/30 (EME 0/14 class 2). For the manufacture of the recycled hot-mix asphalt, two types of binders were analysed.

The basic HMA mix design contains 30% AE (asphalt aggregates) + 20/30 penetration grade bitumen. On the other hand, the alternative solution is composed of 30% AE (asphalt aggregates) + 50/70 grade bitumen + 1.5 % Selenizza. For comparison purposes, the two types of HMA had the same composition of materials in terms of particle size distribution curves and percentage of binder used.

The comparative study of the two different mix design types showed that both of them met the requested technical specifications and were in accordance with the standards. It should nevertheless be noted that on equal parameters of the obtained modified binder (penetration grade, softening point), the second approach, using natural bitumen, yields noticeably better results in terms of rheological and mechanical properties. There were higher results of stiffness (15 855MPa), better resistance to fatigue (137.1μm/m) and better resistance to rutting (3.3%).

These results validate the idea that the specific constituents of natural asphalts, shall be taken into consideration in the technicaleconomic choices.

Highway A150 in France. An implementation of a two-layer pavement structure consisting of a 6cm HMAC wearing course and a 12cm HMA binder course, over a PF3 sub-grade

A further example comes from the construction of the Fier–Tepelene highway in Albania, where the natural bitumen Selenizza was used as an additive for the production of bituminous mixtures of the flexible pavement.

It was used because of problems in finding the right bitumen locally that could meet the requirements of the technical specifications. But it was used also because natural bitumen could simultaneously contribute to reduce by 4cm the total thickness of asphalt layers, compared to the thickness provided for in the original project design.

The new road pavement structure consisted of three layers of continuously graded bituminous mixtures, the base course (9cm), the binder course (6cm) and the wearing course (4cm). For all bituminous mixtures, the natural bitumen Selenizza was used to a percentage of 8% by weight of the base bitumen. A study conducted by the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, on materials sampled from the production plant, as well as on a test session, evaluated the binder and pavement performance.

The analysis of compact issues, by referring to binder viscosity and the binder-related contribution to the occurrence of rutting, fatigue and thermal cracking as well as the assessment of mixture stiffness, led to the conclusion that the considered bituminous mixtures containing the natural asphalt Selenizza, were in compliance with the pavement construction standards and specifications.

One last example on the successful use of the natural bitumen Selenizza, is the Highway A8 Olimpia Odos construction project in Greece. It involved 375km of highway and was designed according to the prescription of French standards. The road structure consisted of a Dense Bitumen Macadam (DBM) base course, an anti-rutting binder course AC (5cm) and an anti-skid TAC (thin asphalt concrete) wearing course (2.5cm).

Several trial mix designs for the base and binder courses were tested using different kinds of binders such as bitumen 50/70, bitumen 50/70 + 8% Selenizza, bitumen 30/50 and PR PLAST modified bitumen. Laboratory tests on elastic modulus and fatigue showed that the binder with bitumen 50/70 + 8% Selenizza, had higher results of stiffness and fatigue compared to all the other tested binders, allowing it to produce an asphalt concrete that belongs to the higher project category DBM 4. This made it possible to reduce the road package thickness by at least 4cm.

NEUTRAL ASPHALT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The recent worldwide economic crisis and the growing environmental awareness have created the need for bituminous binders that meet Life Cycle Assessment constraints. As a part of a common commitment to sustainable development, the University of Rome, in cooperation with the company Selenice Bitumi, carried out e research project, whose aim was to analyse and compare for the first time the production process of the Albanian natural asphalt (Selenizza). The project was also a chance to look at the steps necessary to produce conventional bitumen from crude oil, evaluating the energy consumption and CO2 emission for each kind of product. The study was based on the guidelines of the environmental assessments according to the European standard, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Inventory (LCI), on the bitumen produced in crude oil refineries.

Highway A8 Olimpia Odos construction project in Greece uses the natural bitumen Selenizza

For conventional bitumen the energy consumption of each step has been calculated as well as the carbon dioxide emission, starting from oil extraction, up to vacuum distillation. It included the entire chain of bitumen production, beginning with the acquisition of raw materials, transport, manufacture, use and maintenance, recycling and final disposal.

The product cycle of natural asphalt Selenizza composed from four main phases – extraction, concentration, processing and storage. This is much simpler than the refinery cycle, with an immediate feedback in energy consumption and environmental impact. Moreover, transport stages are reduced to the minimum due to the close proximity of the quarry site to the processing unit.

For study purposes, all technical documentation about electrical equipment and vehicles operating at the mine of Selenice in Albania, together with geological and chemical analysis, were exploited to evaluate the energy consumption characterising each stage of the process.

Also, the value of the Italian-Albanian energy mix, determining the amount of CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity produced, was acquired from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The data on the calorific value of the fuels used during the production, that is, the amount of CO2 emissions per kg of burned fuel, were available from international literature and from ENI (Italian national hydrocarbons agency).

In the light of such an innovative analysis, it was concluded that the natural asphalt Selenizza allows substantial energy saving: 2,376MJ/t versus 4,71MJ/t, that is, about 50% of the value of the bitumen produced from crude oil. There was a significant reduction in CO2 emissions up to 44%: 127,3kg versus 226,2kg per tonne of conventional bitumen production.

A more efficient and smart use of natural resources at the dawn of the 21st century represents a challenge that we must all embrace. Indeed, the natural bitumen Selenizza, is an environmentally friendly product, available within the reach of every road construction company. It can also contribute to improving the quality of high modulus hot-mix asphalts. It offers a better resistance for the high-traffic stress roads, providing material savings by reducing layer thickness and ensuring increased pavement longevity.

Selenice Bitumi is a wholly owned subsidiary of French Company KLP Mines. The company owns the mine of Selenice, an open-pit natural bitumen reserve that constitutes the only deposit of natural bitumen in Europe.

The natural bitumen originating from these deposits is used as an additive and is mixed with refined bitumen, in different percentages, composing on average about 1% of the total mass of the binder.

Selenice Bitumi products are sold in France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Ukraine as well as in China, Canada and countries in North Africa, such as Tunisia and Morocco.

November 18, 2015

by AEA

Transatlantic Petroleum to sell Albanian assets

On November 16, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the immediate launch of a marketing process for the sale of all of the Company’s oil and gas assets and operations in Albania.

While TransAtlantic pursues the marketing process, it will continue the execution of its current operational plan focusing on low cost, high return operations. TransAtlantic does not expect to comment further or update the market with further information on the marketing process unless and until the Board of Directors has approved a specific transaction or otherwise deems disclosure appropriate or necessary. There is no assurance that this marketing process will result in the Company pursuing a particular transaction or completing any such transaction.

Production Update

TransAtlantic’s current net production as of November 13, 2015 is approximately 6,500 BOEPD, and is comprised of approximately 5,800 BOEPD from Turkey and 700 BOPD from Albania.

About TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd.

TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. is an international oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. The Company holds interests in developed and undeveloped properties in Turkey, Albania and Bulgaria.

November 18, 2015

by AEA

China to host China-CEE leaders’ meeting for first time

The fourth leaders’ meeting of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries will be held in east China’s Suzhou city from Nov.24 to 25, the first time for China to host the meeting.

LEADERS’ MEETING

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the leaders from the 16 CEE countries will attend the meeting in Suzhou, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet the 16 countries’ leaders in Beijing, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao said.

Leaders’ meeting is the most important schedule under the framework of China-CEE cooperation this year, Wang said, noting it will lay a stronger foundation for future development.

The meeting in China this year will be meaningful to the sustained, balanced and in-depth relationship between China and Europe, Wang said.

Li will also attend a “16+1” round table meeting and an economic and trade forum.

The 16+1 meeting mechanism, launched in 2012, has helped to deepen traditional friendship, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote China-Europe relations, Wang said.

CEE countries that attended the meeting included Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

NEW MILESTONE

China is willing to be a good host and make the meeting a new milestone to the development of China-CEE cooperation, Wang said.

The theme of the meeting this year is “New beginning, New fields, New vision” , Wang said.

It is the first time for China to host the China-CEE leaders’ meeting, Wang said, so the new beginning means it’s an important period to inherit the past and usher in the future.

The meeting will propose new measures and expand new fields for China-CEE cooperation, covering inter-connectivity, investment and trade, finance, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges and so forth, Wang said.

The leaders will also plan the new vision of development in the next five years, aiming to strengthen top-level design for the cooperation, Wang said, adding that some outcome documents will be released after the meeting.

Wang said China-CEE cooperation has expanded into new areas and produced greater results, thanks to the increasingly mature mechanism and emerging platforms.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Li will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of a trade and investment forum in Suzhou, Vice Commerce Minister Gao Yan said, adding that about 1,000 China and CEE business leaders will participate in the forum.

In 2010, the trade volume between China and CEE countries was 43.9 billion U.S. dollars. The figure increased to 60.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2014.

China-CEE economic and trade cooperation faces new chances, Gao said, calling on the two sides to deepen cooperation in industrial capacity and equipment manufacturing.

According to Gao, at present, Chinese companies have invested more than 5 billion U.S. dollars in CEE countries and the 16 CEE countries have invested more than 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in China.

Gao said both sides are expanding investment areas and diversifying investment forms.

China and CEE countries are closely linked by the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative, Gao said, adding the two sides have huge potentials in energy and infrastructure cooperation.

November 18, 2015

by AEA

Ilham Aliyev: Energy security cannot be considered apart from national security

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed a working lunch as part of the G-20 Summit in Antalya on Nov.16.

The head of state noted that high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing and bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is going on successfully, APA reports.

Azerbaijan is successfully implementing major energy projects with Turkey, the president said.

“Azerbaijan is the first country where oil was extracted in the mid-nineteenth century. Afterwards in the mid-twentieth century oil extraction began in Absheron. And now, in the twenty first century, we are implementing the Southern Gas Corridor project, much of which has already been realized thanks to the active participation of Azerbaijan and Turkey. I’m talking about the project that links Azerbaijan and Turkey, and the Caspian and the Mediterranean. This is a historical event. I would also note the gas pipeline which connects Turkey with Azerbaijan. So we became not only an oil-rich country but also an oil exporter,” President Aliyev said.

The implementation of both projects began a decade ago, the president said, noting that their operation allows both countries to sell more oil and gas and our partners to use alternative energy sources.

As is known, the Caspian Sea does not have access to the ocean. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan is the only country that is able to deliver its resources to parts of the world, according to the head of state.

“We are glad that we began working with our partners in 1994 and this partnership is going on successfully now. The partnership between our countries and friends allowed us to implement these projects successfully,” he said, expressing hope for the successful implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor.

“I would like to express gratitude to President Erdogan for the support and jointly moving toward a same direction. We have good investors,” said the president.

President Aliyev, expressing gratitude to US President Barack Obama for the support the US provided in the implementation of the projects, noted that without this support, it would have been impossible to achieve success in the mid-1990s.

The president also thanked British Prime Minister Cameron. “The UK has been the largest investor in Azerbaijan for over 20 years and this enabled us to develop our partnership in investment and other fields,” he said.

Meanwhile, the head of state expressed gratitude to his friend Renzi, stressing that Italy will continue to be the largest importer of the gas. “This project will give us an opportunity to enter the markets of other countries through Italy”.

The president underlined that investments worth 45 billion dollars will allow to create a common gas network for the delivery of gas extracted in the Caspian Sea on-shore.

“The gas passing through Georgia and Turkey will be delivered to Greece, Bulgaria, and then Albania, and finally to Italy through the Adriatic Sea. This project requires the coordination of efforts of governments and companies of relevant countries and we are already foreseeing the results of this coordination and cooperation”, said President Aliyev.

Azerbaijan’s proven gas reserves are about 2.6 trillion cubic meters while its potential reserves are estimated at nearly 5 trillion cubic meters, the president said, noting that this volume is sufficient for us, our neighbors and European consumers at least 100 years.

President Aliyev said this is a project of energy security, stressing that today, the issue of energy security can not be considered apart from the country’s national security.

“This is a diversification project. In this case, this means not only the diversification of routes – although this is important – but also that of sources. In this respect, our route is new for Europe and it will fully change the energy map of Europe. Azerbaijan has already proved to be a reliable partner,” the head of state added.

“Of course, we must protect the interests of transit, consumer and producer countries,” the president said, noting that to achieve these goals, there is a need to create favorable conditions for all parties.