The Egyptian government will delay by three months a rationing of fuel subsidies initially set to take effect in April as part of austerity measures needed to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Osama Kamal said Feb. 12, Reuters reported.

Pakistan's Cabinet has approved the $1.5 billion Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline, and talks between Islamabad and Tehran are starting Feb. 11, Pakistani newspaper The News reported.

Ukraine plans to begin importing natural gas from Europe, through Hungary and Slovakia, in the first quarter of 2013, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavitski said Feb. 7, Interfax reported.

A major power failure occurred in Venezuela's Falcon state on Feb. 6, El Universal reported.

Lithuania will not offer any concessions to Russian natural gas firm Gazprom as the country seeks a lower price on purchases of natural gas, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said Feb. 1, The Baltic Course reported Feb. 4.

Pakistan's federal Cabinet on Jan. 30 approved a government-to-government cooperation agreement with Iran on engineering, procurement and construction work along with financing for the Pakistan segment of the Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline, the Daily Times website reported.

Pakistan's federal Cabinet on Jan. 30 approved a deal transferring control of Gwadar Port from Singapore to China, the Daily Times website reported.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich will visit Turkmenistan in February to discuss the resumption of direct gas supplies, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said Jan. 29, Itar-Tass reported.

France has ordered special forces to protect uranium sites operated by state-owned Areva in Niger, a military source said Jan. 24, Reuters reported.