MOGSEC – MOG(small)EC

December 19, 2008

There is an organization called the Association of Malaysian Oil & Gas Engineering Consultants, acronym MOGEC. Its stated objective is to

foster a closer relationship among the oil and gas engineering consultants

 If you look the MOGEC members, it seems as if it is a list of big boys in the O&G consulting industry. Now, are the aims of these entities the same as say those who are starting out in the field? They might be focused on:

  • protectionism of their pie.
  • cooperation to improve economies of scales
  • self – interest in tailoring work to suit the Procurement, Construction and Consulting arms of their respective conglumerates.
  • Possibly distributing work to their overseas partners.

What about the smaller engineering companies? They have different things to worry about:

  • Getting work from big boys.
  • promoting their services viewed as niche markets.
  • Promoting their names.
  • Growing specialised services locally.
  • Getting put (and knowing off) the appropriate lists to get on, and people to talk to.
  • Malaysianization of their operations.
  • Access to financial instruments more suited to their scale.

So, do you think that another industry body, which I propose calling MOGSEC, be appropriate, and would it get support?

Don’t get me started on MOGSC (which is pronounced mogs-see).

8 Comments | business opportunity, engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Different Outlook – Chem Eng

December 16, 2008

If you were a chem eng, you could calculate what the pressure of the pump supplying water to the attraction is:

  • Knowing height and distace, you could calculate exit velocity.
  • Knowing exit velocity, you could calculate the discharge pressure at the holes.

If you were a corrosion engineer, you would wonder what the chem inhibition processes are.

If you were a holiday maker, you would just chill out…

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Saturday Star 2008-12-13 – Job Opportunities

December 15, 2008

Another week, another scan of the Saturday Star newspaper. Here’s a list of job ads in the paper:

  • Synergy Oil and Gas Engineeringis recruiting fresh chemical engineering graduates, or those with around 1 year experience. CVs may be sent to enquiry@synergykl.com.my. It’s also looking for admin execs who can run the invoicing / payroll / accounting web as well as be office managers.
  • Murphy is looking for an Interface Engineering Manager. Sounds interesting. One responsibility is to ‘develop and implement an Interface Management System to define and manage technical scope of work at the boundaries between Company work groups in multi-discipline/multi-contractor projects and between various contractor groups.’ A min of 20 years experience is required. Apply to cv_hr@murphyoilcorp.com
  • Technip has requirements for a subsea installation engineer and a subsea structural engineer. Visit their website.
  • RasGas is looking for a whole mess of people – head elec eng, head rot eng, rot eng, elec/power eng, mech eng, proc eng, integrity eng (materials, not ethics), corr eng (manage, encourage happens easily enough), control sys eng, safety sys eng, field en, programmatic eng, metallurgical eng, inst and control eng, reliability eng. CVs to be submitted here. I believe RasGas is a JV, one of the partners being ExxonMobil.

Sigh, when I move with Synergy to Subang, will you patronise Chee Meng in my memory?

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Old Photos – Kompleks Esso

December 14, 2008

Okay, the place is called Kompleks Operasi PETRONAS (KOP) now. For those whose livelihood depended on work being done in this building pre-2003, here’s some photos for you:

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Thoughts on the Price of Petrol

December 13, 2008

As of today (11th Dec, 2008), the price of petrol in Malaysia is RM1.90/liter. Even though this seems good in the face of things, I can’t help but wonder on some topics:

  • Did you notice that the price of natural gas hasn’t changed? If you are going to follow market forces in pricing petrol, why not gas? Is it because gas consumers has more political clout and more to lose if the current low market price for gas goes up? Or is it because the average man in his Produa doesn’t know about it.
  • For comparison, the EIA site has the price of natural gas as USD $5.686 per MMBtu for January 2009. From Gas Malaysia’s tariff site, the cost of gas ranges from RM19.18/mmBtu to RM28.29/mmBtu. That’s $5.38 to $7.93, converted.
  • The low petrol price means that the people’s focus moves away from  improvement of public conveniences, and back towards getting to work in the relative comfort of private vehicles. I believe that engineers, esp the Institution of Engineers, could have done more faster to improve the lot of the commuter, and recruit more converts to communal travel.
  • Low petrol prices means low crude oil prices, which puts my job in jeopardy. But hey, nothing I can do about it except be more diligent in seeking worthwhile jobs.

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Pertamina’s Natuna Plan Delayed by Lack of Data

December 12, 2008

Taken from the Jakata Globe (you can tell where I had my holidays), dateline Dec 10, 2008:

State oil and gas producer PT Pertamina will likely miss its December deadline to choose partners to help it develop the Natuna D-Alpha gas block as US oil giant ExxonMobil has yet to turn over key data, an Indonesian government official said on Tuesday.

Edy Hermantoro, director for upstream oil and gas at the Energy Ministry, said ExxonMobil would continue to have control over the block until Jan. 9, when its contract with the Indonesian government officially expires. “Exxon has the right to hold onto the data until its contract is over,” Edy said on Tuesday. “This also means that Pertamina’s right [to take over Natuna] is not effective yet as Exxon’s contract is still valid.”

But Edy’s comments contradicted earlier statements by the Energy Ministry. It announced in 2006 that ExxonMobil’s contract had been terminated, arguing Exxon had produced nothing after 20 years spent exploring the block.

…

 One of the most tightly guarded treasures of a hydrocarbon production company is its reservoir data. Making this information public domain is kinda like giving your competitors an insight in your 10-15 year revenue and investment plan.

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Presentation – Crane Accident

December 11, 2008

Don’t worry, no blood or bodies shown. A reminder how going outside equipment limits might be hazardous to your health.

20081018-crane-failure1

(update 2008-12-15) If the above link doesn’t work, try downloading the file here from ultrafiles.com.my

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Malaysia’s National Bird

December 10, 2008

Ladies and gentleman,

I give you a sighting of Malaysia’s national bird at the shipyards.

Malaysia's National Bird

Malaysia's National Bird

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Saturday Star 2008-12-06 – Job Opportunities

December 9, 2008

Another week, another scan of the Saturday Star newspaper. Here’s a list of job ads in the paper:

  • Synergy Oil and Gas Engineering is recruiting fresh chemical engineering graduates, or those with around 1 year experience. CVs may be sent to enquiry@synergykl.com.my. It’s also looking for admin execs who can run the invoicing / payroll / accounting web as well as be office managers.
  • Delcom (public holding company Deleum) is looking for a project, business development, sales/technical and operations coordinator engineer. At least 2+ years experience. Hah, you have to send a hardcopy CV the Human Resources Department, Deleum Berhad, no. 2, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9, Bangsar Utama, 59000 KL.
  • MMHE are looking for a mess of engineers. If you have 5 years experience, come to their walk-in interviews at Suria Cherating Beach Resort (this is for the Kerteh people I assume) on the 12 & 13th Dec, 0830 to 1800, and M S Garden Hotel (this is for the Gebeng crowd :)) on the 14th, same time. Or you can apply online here.

Sigh, when I move with Synergy to Subang, will you patronise Chee Meng in my memory?

1 Comment | engineering | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

RSCE-SOMChe08 – Poyry Poster Photos

December 8, 2008

The title says it all. Hui Hin has some more photos in her blog entry.

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