Page 8 - AsianOil Week 30 2021

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China denies launching

cyberattacks on US gas pipelines

POLICY THE Chinese government has rejected US largest source of cyberattacks targeting China.
claims that it was behind multiple cyberattacks Data in 2020 showed 53% of the 42mn malicious
targeting American natural gas infrastructure cyber activities came from the US.”
dating back a decade. Cybersecurity has emerged as Washington
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao and Beijing’s latest battleground, as ties between
Lijian dismissed last week the US Department the two giants continue to deteriorate. The US
of Homeland Security’s (DHS) claim that the last week led a coalition of allied counties in
Chinese state had sponsored cyberattacks on accusing China of a global cyberespionage cam-
23 pipeline operators from late December 2011 paign. Washington’s claims were supported Nato
until the end of February 2012. as well as the EU, the UK, Japan, Canada, Aus-
The DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastruc- tralia and New Zealand.
ture Security Agency (CISA) issued on July 20 US President Joe Biden doubled down on the
a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory report, which subject this week, warning that a future military
was co-authored by the FBI, in which it claims conflict between the world’s major powers was
that “Chinese actors” launched a highly sophisti- likely to be triggered by cyberattacks.
cated spear-phishing campaign targeting the US Speaking at the Office of the Director of
gas industry. Of those targeted, 20 operators are National Intelligence on July 27, Biden said:
understood to have been compromised, while “I think it’s more likely we’re going to end up
three were unaffected. – well, if we end up in a war, a real shooting
Zhao, however, said on July 23 that the report war with a major power, it’s going to be as a
had confused “right and wrong”. consequence of a cyber-breach of great con-
“China firmly opposes and fights against all sequence. And it’s increasing exponentially
forms of cyberattacks,” Zhao said. “The US is the – the capabilities.”™

OCEANIA

Chevron misses CCS target at Gorgon LNG

PROJECTS & SUPER-MAJOR Chevron confirmed last week it takes time to optimise a new system to ensure
COMPANIES that it would not meet its carbon dioxide (CO2) it performs reliably over 40-plus years of opera-
injection target at its Gorgon LNG facility, tion,” he continued. “The road hasn’t always been
which has a carbon capture and storage (CCS) smooth, but the challenges we’ve faced – and
component. overcome – make it easier for those who aspire
Under the terms of approval for the Gorgon to reduce their emissions through CCS.”
LNG project, Chevron and its partners were According to Hatfield, Chevron is commit-
required to capture 4mn tonnes per year (tpy) of ted to sharing the lessons it has learned from
emissions over the first five years of operation, or the Gorgon injection project with state and fed-
around 80% of total emissions over this period. eral governments, research institutes and other
However, Chevron said this week that only 5mn energy producers to assist with the deployment
tonnes of CO2 equivalent had been captured of CCS across Australia.
since the CCS system was started up in August However, the super-major has come under
2019. fire for missing its injection target, with environ-
Chevron nonetheless hailed this as a “signifi- mental groups calling for it to be heavily fined.
cant milestone”, saying it represented the largest Advocacy group Sustainable Energy Now
volume of injection achieved within this time WA’s chair, Ian Porter, described the injection
frame by any environmental CCS system of shortfall as a “shocking failure of one of the
comparable specifications. Chevron Australia’s world’s largest engineering projects”.
managing director, Mark Hatfield, attributed “I sincerely hope CCS does work one day.
the failure to meet the injection target to delays Ultimately we need it. But until that time, it is
in safely starting up the CCS system. reckless and disingenuous for the industry to
“Chevron is working with the WA [Western keep pretending that it can expand operations
Australia] regulator on making up the shortfall and reach net zero,” he was quoted by the Guard-
and will report publicly on that later in the year,” ian as saying.™
Hatfield said. “Like any pioneering endeavour,

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 30 29•July•2021