Asia

Jane Bordenave talks to David Bickford and Ahmet Uslu of Tüprag Metal Mining Industry and Trade about the largest open pit gold mine in Turkey and the company’s subterranean plans for the future.

Italian automaker Piaggio, the maker of Vespa scooters, is planning to launch an eco-friendly mini-car in India that will rival the Tata Nano.

The prototype was revealed at the Milan bike show, with the finished product scheduled to be launched within the next three years.

On 18 March 2010, NiQ Lai and his colleagues celebrated ten years on NASDAQ by ringing the opening bell: he tells John O’Hanlon how after 10 years of investing, City Telecom is now in harvesting mode, being profitable, with positive free cash flow and achieving its goal to dominate the Hong Kong broadband market.

UK oil explorer Max Petroleum has announced the discovery of a zone of oil in a well in Kazakhstan, sending its shares soaring.

Testing at the UTS-1 well on the Uytas prospect in Western Kazakhstan has revealed 16 metres of oil at shallower depths than the current position, with the oil column potentially stretching for 86 metres.

The company said it would now drill ahead from the current intermediate depth of 300 metres to explore deeper targets at around 900 metres, before returning to the shallower zones to test the find.

The metal and mineral resources of Turkey have been under-exploited for decades. Afrasia Mining and Energy Consulting (AME) and Red Crescent Resources (RCR)are bringing South African and global expertise into alliance with local knowledge. Ruari McCallion found out more.

US gas company Chesapeake Energy is to sell a third of its interest in the Eagle Ford Shale project to China’s CNOOC for $1.08 billion.

Chesapeake will continue to manage the project in South Texas, conducting all leasing, drilling, operation and marketing activities.

CNOOC will fund 75 per cent of Chesapeake's share of drilling and other costs until an additional $1.08 billion has been paid, which Chesapeake expects to happen by the end of 2012.

Russian telecom giant Vimpelcom and Egypt’s Weather Investments have agreed to merge their assets, it has been announced.

The deal, worth $6.6 billion (£4.2 billion), will create the world’s fifth-largest mobile phone company, with combined subscriptions of more than 174 million. It will also give Vimpelcom, which has operations in many former Soviet republics, access to new markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The new company will operate in 20 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Just six years after first setting foot in China, entrepreneur Pete Toms has turned a great idea and a set of good contacts into a $7 million turnover company. Gay Sutton goes to the horse’s mouth to find out how he did it.