Developments – Limbang and Oil Claims

May 6, 2010

A summary of accusations and confusion clarifications on the above topic. But notice Murphy has been keeping quiet.

From AP via Google, dateline 2010-04-02:

Malaysia’s PETRONAS, Brunei to develop oil blocks

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian national oil company PETRONAS said Saturday that it is in talks with Brunei to jointly develop two offshore oil reserves off Borneo island after the two nations ended a long-standing spat over ownership of the areas.

Both Malaysia and Brunei awarded exploration contracts in 2003 to parts of an undersea site off Borneo with potentially large oil reserves. But exploration activities have since stalled because the countries discovered that some of the areas overlap.

From The Star, dateline 2010-04-02:

Pak Lah dismisses Dr M’s claims he gave away oil-rich areas to Brunei

PUTRAJAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi has dismissed former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s allegation that he had given away two oil-rich areas to Brunei in 2009 in exchange for Brunei dropping its claims on Limbang in Sarawak.

In a statement, he said that regarding the maritime area, Malaysia and Brunei agreed to establish a final and permanent sea boundary in an exchange of letters on March 16, 2009 aimed at settling the boundary issues between the two nations.

From the Sun (no, not that Sun), dateline 2010-05-02 (kinda slow to report, aren’t they?):

Mahathir queries loss of USD100 billion in deal to reclaim Limbang

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30, 2010): Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has taken to task Wisma Putra and his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the loss of USD100 billion (RM320 billion) of Malaysia’s oil in a deal with Brunei to get back Limbang.

In a posting on his blog titled “Malaysia’s generosity” which quoted reports in The Edge Financial Daily, The Edge and the Brunei Times, Mahathir said a substantial oil producing offshore area in the South China Sea, namely Block L and Block M, are no longer a part of Malaysia. In an immediate response carried by news portals Abdullah dismissed Mahathir’s allegation. He said Malaysia and Brunei agreed to establish a final and permanent sea boundary in an exchange of letters on March 16, 2009 aimed at settling the boundary issues between the two nations, including overlapping claims over the two blocks. He said though sovereign rights to the resources belong to Brunei, Malaysia will be allowed to participate, on a commercial basis, to jointly develop the oil and gas resources in this area for a period of 40 years.

And on Tun’s blog deadline 2010-04-29:

1. The Edge Financial Daily, an article by Joseph Chin (The Edge, April 22nd) as well as Brunei Times reported a substantial oil producing offshore area in the South China Sea, namely Block L and Block M, were no longer a part of Malaysia.

2. Malaysians and the Malaysian media did not ask how this came about. It would seem that the loss of a huge oil producing area that had apparently belonged to Malaysia is okay.

3. Block L and Block M had been claimed by Malaysia based on historical facts. Accordingly, Petronas entered into a production sharing contract with Murphy Oil to start drilling to produce oil. It is estimated that the reserves amounted to almost 1 billion barrels.


Saturday Star 2010-05-01 – Job Opportunities

May 3, 2010

Commercial note: I’m monetizing this site, so support me by purchasing my recommendations, or buying from my Amazon store.

And now, on with our regular show.

  • My office is looking for part-time admin staff. Call Ibrahim at +603-56371015.
  • Ah, Murphy, Murphy, the stalwart of the hiring pages. They are looking for an auditor (that’s a position open for abuse, Snr Rotating Engineer, Snr Facilities Eng (hey, I didn’t know someone was leaving), Junior Subsea Eng, Petroleum Eng. Send your applications here.
  • SABIC is looking for people, and they are darn tootin’ doing it by having walk-in interviews. Let’s see, they are looking for Snr Eng (Centrifugal & Steam Turbines), Snr Eng (Screw), Snr Eng (Blowers and Pumps), Reliability Eng (no need, send your sole source RFQs to Synergy), and other similar positions. Walk-in interviews are at the Hyatt Regency, Pahang (3 June), J W Marriot KL (4 June), Renaissance Melaka (5 June), Park Everly Hotel Bintulu (6 June). You can apply via email here or here. Or key in your resumes online here. Mention to your interviewer I sent you.
  • I see that QatarGas is looking for people, and I see that the advert targets our Indonesian cousins. They are looking for Snr Resv Eng, Resv Eng, Snr Corrosion Eng. Apply here. or snail mail to PT NES Global Technical Consultant, c/o CEO Suite, One Pacific Place (Kidzania!) Sudirman Central Business District, 15th Floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-5, Jakarta 12190, Indonesia.

No food recommendations photos this week. Lunch on Saturday was provided at Agrotek Resort Hulu Langat, near my parents place. Write ups of the place can be found here, here. Go visit the place. In an example of ‘so near, yet so far’, there are no phone and power lines to the place, yet it’s off jalan Hulu Langat, go figure. Contact number is +60192716994.

At some point in my reading career, I got interested in the historical side of mathematics. Examples of such books of this genre are Men of Mathematics, Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics, Archimedes to Hawking: Laws of Science and the Great Minds Behind Them.


Murphy Oil block interests off Malaysia terminated

May 2, 2010

Is this old news? I haven’t heard anyone, Murphy or otherwise, moaning about lost opportunities. Now, does PETRONAS have to pay them for the loss of opportunity and sunken costs to date? And will they pay damages to us small contractors? And will that cost be then transfered to the rakyat?

Taken from the Oil & Gas Journal, dateline 2010-04-22:

LOS ANGELES, Apr. 22 — Murphy Oil Corp.’s interests in Blocks L and M off Malaysia have been terminated after resolution of a dispute with Brunei over control of the assets.

Murphy was informed by state-owned PETORNAS that the two blocks are no longer a part of the country following an agreement between Malaysia and the Sultanate of Brunei.

Murphy said its potential participation in replacement production-sharing contracts (PSCs) covering these areas is “under discussion.”

The announcement follows recent reports that the two southeast Asian countries are trying to implement an agreement made in March 2009 to establish a commercial arrangement area.

That agreement ended a dispute that erupted in 2003 when PETRONAS and Murphy were awarded two offshore leases, SB L and SB M. The blocks overlapped with Brunei’s Blocks J and K, which had been awarded to Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC.

In a recent report, the Economist Intelligence Unit noted that Brunei and Malaysia are “inching closer towards resolving their border disputes.”

EIU noted in particular that “agreement on the land border could pave the way for a deal on the maritime border that would allow both countries to benefit from the discovery of new oil and gas deposits.”


IEM 2010 Annual Dinner

May 1, 2010

Here are some photos taken during the night, courtesy of the young engineers from MECIP:


Tender Notification: International Bid Round 2010 For Eight Onshore Blocks : Block III/ IV/ V/ VII/ XII/ XIV/ XVI/ XVIII

April 29, 2010

Anyone have the hankering to become an operating company? I humbly offer myself to be chief deal broker.

I have the:

If you want Part III, drop me a golden doubloon.

Title of tender: 04/2010(32)

Tender Notification:

International Bid Round 2010 For Eight Onshore Blocks: Block III, Block IV, Block V, Block VII, Block XII, Block XIV, Block XVI, Block XVIII

Closing date:

Bid round closing date : September 19, 2010 (Wednesday) at 14.00 noon (Damascus local time)

Bid round closing date : September 19, 2010 (Wednesday) at 19:00 pm (Malaysia Time)

Summary:

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and General Petroleum Corporation (GPC) would like to invite Malaysian Oil Companies to participate in the following bid:

International Bid Round 2010 For Eight Onshore Blocks

  • Block III, Block IV, Block V, Block VII, Block XII, Block XIV, Block XVI and Block XVIII

With a view of forging and generating more business opportunities between Malaysia and Syria, the Embassy welcomes Malaysian businessmen to participate in the above tender. Therefore, the Embassy shall be much obliged if this information be disseminated to the business fraternity in Malaysia. Please refer to the attachment for further information pertaining to the announcement.

Tender Book includes:

  • Basic Contractual and Commercial Conditions.
  • Technical Part of the available DATA FOR THE 8 BLOCKS
  • PSC Model Agreement ( draft)

Bidder may submit his offers for one block or more than one (separate offer for each block).

Interested bidders shall submit their offers based on the announcement, Basic Contractual and Commercial Conditions and the draft of Production Sharing Model Agreement.

The international Bid Round will be by public announcement, Basic Contractual and Commercial Conditions and by an invitation for already qualified companies.

Public announcement : for non qualified interested companies who should submit all financial and technical qualification documents and fill questionnaire form by the closing date of 1st June 2010.

Invitation for the already qualified companies in the Ministry: The Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources by the closing date of 15 September 2010.

Qualified Bidder shall submit their bids in three sealed envelopes: A, B and C to be put in fourth sealed one, at the closing Date of 15 September 2010.

All ENVELOPES should be titled :

“ CONFIDENTIAL”

Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources
International Bid Round 2010-( 8 Blocks)

and addressed to :

Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources
Al-dawi, Khatoob st, Damascus –Syian Arab Republic
Tel: +963 11 445 1624 (442 9573)
Fax: +963 11 446 3942(444 3947)

Announcement could be obtained through Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources website and at GPC’s website.

For further information, please contact : Contracts & Agreement Directorate in GPC,

Tel : +963 11 3141617
Fax: +963 11 3141634

COUNTRY : SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC


IEM Shout Out – Risk Based Inspection

April 27, 2010

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will hosting a course on the 4th and 5th May, 2010. You’ll get to visit TNB’s Intergrated Learning Solution – ILSAS at Bangi in addition to getting 13 CPD points.

The RBI course is designed in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute (API) based resource document 581, API recommended practice (RP) 580.

The Speaker, Ian Partridge, is TWI Ltd’s Principal Project Leader, Equipment Risk Consulting  – Conducting Life Assessment, Failure Investigations, Fitness-for-Service Assessments for various Oil and Gas and Power Generation installations. Development and  validation of Fitness-For-Service procedures for international standards and best practice guidance.

Representation of TWI Ltd. on various international standards committees. Assessments include creep, general corrosion, locally thinned areas, pitting corrosion, fatigue,fracture, blisters and laminations.

Flyers for the above and other events may be obtained here.

I appeal to readers, come on and send yourselves and staff to these courses. I need the support.


Saturday Star 2010-04-24 – Job Opportunities

April 26, 2010

Commercial note: I’m monetizing this site, so support me by purchasing my recommendations, or visiting my store.

  • RasGas is looking for Controls Technologist, Elect Supv, Elec Tech, Instr Tech, Lead Mech, Lead Cond Monitoring Tech, Cond Monitoring Tech, Mach & Reliability Supv, Turbo/ Mach Tech, Mech Tech, F&G Analyser Tech. CVs to be submitted here. You can phone the local recruiters at +603 2078 1917/8. I believe RasGas is a JV, one of the partners being ExxonMobil.
  • Here’s an anonymous ad for ‘an established E&C Services Company in the O&G industry with ongoing projects. We are expanding our operations to JB and seek proactive, dedicated…’ . Anyhow, they are looking for Senior Eng/Eng (Civil/ Electrical/ Instru/ Mech/ Piping), Snr Drafters/ Drafters, Snr Designers/ Designers. You can snail mail your applications to The Advertiser (Ref:2246/razmahwata.wordpress.com), P.O. Box 80, Jalan Sultan, 4670 PJ, Selangor DE. or email them here. Or fax them to… Singapore? +6562730670
  • Talisman is looking a Senior Exploration Geophysicist. Apply here, and visit their site. Now, how exactly does one arrange an presentation with the purse holders in that company?

This week’s food recommendation? The Malaysian Petroleum Club. I had food there on Wed (Resource Magazine’s Inaugeral Networking Cocktail) and Thusday (MOGSC‘s AGM). I’m looking for sponsorship so that Synergy can become a member. Feel free to donate.

As for a book recommendation, I suggest that you get a copy of Freedom (TM), which is deeper and more thought provoking then Deamon. I grabbed the last (first?) copy from Kinokunya KLCC.


The SOGE Story – Another Photosynth

April 25, 2010

Another Photosynth view of the office. We’re getting a bit more fuller, and I suppose we have enough money to pay for the rent and the lights. We’d like some more work during these trying times.


Tales from the Engineering Floor – Sorry, We’re Flooded

April 23, 2010

After paying our pound of flesh, we expected a vendor to send us a software lease license post haste. After waiting for a few days, we asked the vendor why the license hadn’t shown up yet.

Their response? Their server room was flooded, so they weren’t able to pull up their records and send us our purchase.

For want of a drain hole, a week’s worth of time was lost.


IEM CETD – Winners, Most Improved TD

April 22, 2010

My Technical Division, Chemical Engineering was awarded the most improved TD for the year 2009. I must confess, I had nothing to do with it, but will that stop me from basking in the same limelight? Nooo…..

And I’ll share the certificate and appreciation dinner as well.

winners for PAOE 2009