Much riding on Petronas’ project

November 1, 2013

Dateline 2013-09-07, Malaysia Chronicle:

 The bulk of that comes from the national oil company, Petronas. Over its lifespan, Petronas has accounted, at times, for up to 50 per cent of the government’s annual revenue.

These exclude the various economic spin-offs from its investments and business activities. It provides, directly or indirectly, tens of thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of ringgit in business opportunities and other value-added services.

With its huge operations built over the years in Malaysia and around the world, Petronas has emerged as the 25th largest oil and gas company in the world, the 68th largest company in the world, 12th most profitable globally and most profitable in Asia.

Much of the success comes from its investments in various upstream and downstream petroleum activities and prudent management of its financial reserves.

There are not many state oil companies that have been as successful as Petronas.

Petronas needs to step up investments to expand its operations, weather the vagaries of global petroleum prices and boost its earnings to ensure its financial sustainability and that of the country’s economy.

That was the rationale behind Petronas’s plan, announced last year, to turn Pengerang in Johor into a vibrant petroleum hub in Asia, rivalling Singapore.

 


Tan keen to have oil and gas training centre in east coast

October 25, 2013

I was wondering how ‘Tan’ was in the title. Turns out the original article misprinted his name.

Daily Express, dateline 2013-09-06:

Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah has expressed his keenness to have an oil and gas skills training centre to be built in the east coast of Sabah.

He expressed his intention during the courtesy call by a delegation from Talisman Malaysia Limited to his office here Thursday.

Talisman Malaysia has managed few operational activities in Sabah and wishes to groom their business in Sabah at the same time to be fully committed with their corporate social responsibility in Sabah including the environmental, socio-economic, and educational programme.


Mustapa urges Malaysians to understand rationale for fuel price hike Read more: Mustapa urges Malaysians to understand rationale for fuel price hike

October 15, 2013

Dateline 2013-09-03, NST:

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has urged the people to be patient over the fuel price hike and understand the rationale for the government’s move to reduce subsidies to avert a more serious consequences to the country in future.

“The people should be patient and understand what we are doing is good for the people and the country. If we continue with the subsidies, it will have a more serious impact on our country,” he said.


Higher electricity bills likely

October 13, 2013

Visit here for some energy saving tips.

Dateline 2013-08-30, The Star:

Electricity bills are likely to go up as the Government is expected to reduce subsidies for natural gas in its bid to improve Malaysia’s fiscal position.

“The subsidy bill for the power sector has been creeping up … if the Government doesn’t do anything, the subsidy bill would go higher and higher,” MyPower Corpchief executive officer Datuk Abdul Razak Majid said at a media briefing yesterday.

The last electricity tariff hike took effect in June 2011 when the subsidised gas price was raised to RM13.70 per million metric British thermal unit (mmbtu) from RM10.70 per mmbtu previously.

 


Petronas sends tanker to pick up Nigeria LNG

October 12, 2013

Wonder when LNG will get off my radar? And I guess I better treat Nigerians better than I usually do.

Dateline 2013-08-26:

Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas producer, is sending the Seri Bijaksana to load a spot cargo of liquefied natural gas in Nigeria, a company official said.

The shipment was sold last week as part of Nigeria LNG Ltd’s tender to sell two September-loading cargoes, according to the official, who asked not to be named because he isn’t authorized to speak to the media.

The tanker, which has a capacity of about 153,000 cubic meters, will arrive tomorrow at Nigeria LNG’s Bonny Island terminal, according to ship transmissions captured by IHS Fairplay on Bloomberg. Deliveries from Nigeria LNG, Africa’s biggest exporter of the fuel, resumed July 26 after the company lifted a force majeure.


Hibiscus shortlisted in bid for Newfield assets

October 10, 2013

From SPAC to PSC in one fell swoop? This is how you break into the O&G big bucks.

Dateline 2013-08-21:

Malaysia’s first special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), has been short-listed for the second round of bidding for Newfield Exploration Co’s Malaysian and Chinese oil and gas fields valued at about US$1.2 billion (RM3.94 billion).

“It was only a handful of companies that made it to the second round from the 65 companies initially expressed interest, and we are one of them,” said Hibiscus MD Dr Kenneth Pereira.

Newfield, the fourth-largest oil producer in Malaysia, has an interest in about 3.3 million net acres offshore Malaysia and about 290,000 net acres offshore China but intends to sell these assets to focus on its North American operations.

 


Samur project ahead of schedule, says PetChem

October 5, 2013

Can someone get me on this gravy train?

Dateline 2013-08-20, FMT:

Development of the RM4.5 billion Sabah Ammonia Urea (Samur) project by Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem) is progressing wellahead of schedule, against the targeted October 2015 operational timeline.

PetChem president and CEO Dr Abd Hapiz Abdullah said the project is now more than 50% ready, putting to rest various allegations raised against the development pace of the urea and ammonia plant.


UPDATE 1-Exxon, Shell advance in Newfield’s Asia auction-sources

October 2, 2013

Dateline 2013-08-15, Reuters:

Energy majors Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell are among the suitors advancing to the next round of bidding for Newfield Exploration Co’s Malaysian and Chinese oil and gas fields valued at about $1.2 billion, people familiar with the matter said.


VTTI to complete Phase 2 of Malaysia’s ATT Tanjung Bin oil terminal in Q1 2015

October 1, 2013

Dateline 2013-08-15, Platts:

The second phase of development at the ATT Tanjung Bin, or ATB, oil terminal in Johor, Malaysia, which will add 250,000 cubic meters of storage capacity and an additional berth for Aframax tankers, will be completed in the first quarter of 2015, a company source with the terminal’s owner, VTTI, said Thursday.

This phase will boost the terminal’s storage capacity to about 1.14 million cu m and will add one more berth with similar specifications to its existing No. 2 berth: maximum vessel length of 260 meters, maximum deadweight tonnage at 120,000 mt, allowable draft at berth of 16.7 meters and a maximum manifold height from waterline at 17.45 meters.


IPO: Sona Petroleum Receives Several Acquition Proposals

September 22, 2013

So fast? This is how you make money. The Edge, Dateline 2013-07-30:

Sona Petroleum Bhd said today it has received a number of proposals for possible acquisition targets.

“We have received quite a number of proposals from the regions of interests,” managing director Datuk Seri Hadian Hashim told a press conference today at the listing ceremony of Sona.

“The team will have to go through the proposals when the listing is over,” he said.

Sona Petroleum — a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) which acquires assets in the exploration and production phases of the oil and gas value chain – has said it is setting its sights to acquire assets in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Hadian did not offer more details but said Sona is also likely to make ventures into acquisitions of exploration and development assets when “there is profitability and when the opportunities arise”.