Heavyweight harangues Japan on oil law reform

These are worrying times for the Japanese oil industry, with looming threats to vital supplies from Iran, both short and long-term.

But Nippon Oil Corp’s Fumiaki Watari seemed more concerned yesterday about his own country’s energy conservation regime.

Watari, a 56-year veteran of the industry, says Japanese oil companies are pressing the Government to replace laws that they say retard development of new technologies to improve oil utilisation and energy efficiency.
“The Government’s plan shows that in 2030, Japan will still be more than 40 per cent oil dependent and, if that is the case, these current laws are obstacles to our efforts to develop new technologies to make the most efficient use of all oil,” he says.

The Australian