Malaysia’s energy shares rout yet to hit bottom

April 30, 2015

Yeah, baby. Someone let me know when I can buy shares lots with the money in my pocket.

Dateline 2015-04-19, Malay Mail Online:

Investors looking for bargains among Malaysia’s tumbling energy stocks say it’s too early to buy as oil’s slide to a six-year low pummels an industry that accounts for about a fifth of the nation’s exports.

SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd, the country’s biggest oil and gas services company, has tumbled 46 per cent in Kuala Lumpur trading in the past 12 months as peers Bumi Armada Bhd and UMW Oil & Gas Corp both lost at least 48 per cent. Analysts have cut recommendations on the stocks to the lowest levels since at least 2013, while Malaysia’s state energy company announced spending cuts of as much as US$8.1 billion (RM29.78b) last month.

…

 

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IEM Shout Out – Conversion of Organic Wastes and Unused Biomass to Valuable Materials and Energy Using Sub-Critical Water

April 29, 2015

This is a shout out for the IEM. The Chemical Engineering Technical Division (know as CETD to friends) will be having a talk on Wed afternoon, 6th May, 2015, by Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshida .

Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshida obtained B. Eng. Degree in 1969 and Dr. Eng. in 1977 in Chemical Engineering from Osaka Prefecture University, Japan. He worked for this University from 1974 to 2013. He became a professor in 1995. From 2013, he has been working for Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, UPM as a contract professor.

Sub-Critical water is high temperature and high pressure water but lower than those of critical points (647 K, 22.1 MPa). It shows three typical characteristics. Firstly, sub-critical water (sub-CW) has a great hydrolysis power at around 520 K and organic solids quickly decompose into low-molecular-weight valuable materials. Secondly, sub-CW works as a strong solvent and can extract oil almost perfectly at once. Thirdly, when the temperature is higher than about 600 K, hydrolysis power becomes small and pyrolysis power becomes great. The pyrolysis reaction can convert organics to liquid oil (alternative heavy crude oil) and/or solid char.

You can register here, and download the brochure here.

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IEM Shout Out – Half Day Course on Incorporating CDIO (TM) framework through Project based learning (PBL)

April 28, 2015

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will be having a course on 13th May, presented by Ir Assoc. Prof. Dr. Satesh Namasivayam . It’ll be at 9am at Wisma IEM.

Ready to engineer. So it is said. But what is engineer and how do you engineer? What are the barriers to engineer and what are the key factors necessary to educate engineer? How to think like an engineer? Incorporating CDIOTM framework through Project based learning (PBL) can be one of the solutions. The CDIOTM initiative has been developing as more collaborators from all over the globe are taking this initiative as a base for their educational institutions adopting what so-called the “active learning” policy which includes, but not limited to, a complete system of a well-designed syllabus covering the skills and characteristics of graduating engineers.

Throughout CDIOTM phases, the learning process has changed from passive-note taking to more active-project-based education. This half-day workshop is designed with three (3) objectives as follows

  • Introduce participants to Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate initiative
  • Integrate CDIO initiative in curriculum to address complex, value added engineering products, processes, systems in modern and team-based environment;
  • Review the know-how of conceiving, designing, implementing and operating complex engineering systems of appropriate complexity.

Ir Assoc Prof Dr. Satesh Namasivayam BEng (1st Class Hons) PhD (London) FIMechE MIEM CEng PEng CIT (HRDF) is a Chartered and Professional Mechanical Engineer, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Deputy Dean from the School of Engineering at Taylor’s University, Malaysia.

You can register here, and get the flyer here.

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Struggle for her homeland

April 28, 2015

Not a Malaysian story, but just outside our borders. And lessons to be learnt.

Dateline 2015-03-16, Bangkok Post:

Suraida Tolee never thought that one day she would lead the people in Chana district, on the Thai-Malay border in Songkhla province, in a fight against government policies. That fight began 20 years ago, and continues to this day. Her life was at peace until she learnt that the Thailand-Malaysia gas pipeline and separation plant project would be built in her homeland as a result of the government’s development policy for the South.

And today her community faces a different struggle against another controversial policy: planned deep sea ports in the Gulf of Thailand that threaten the environment and local people’s livelihoods.

When the gas pipeline was first mooted in 1996, the mother-of-three and at that time council member of the Tambon Administration Office (TAO) in Khlong Pia, Chana district, decided to find out the truth.

…

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Saturday Star 2015-04-25– Job Opportunities

April 27, 2015

Happy Diving at Tenggol Week. Meet me there, and take a selfie. Also, Buy my recommendations, or through my Amazon store. Or get the Young Turks series (all 4 books). Where are those corporate sponsors? Or throw donations at me.

  • I say that when the design houses execute a mass firing campaign, the trade papers should pick it up. What say you, R?
  • An associate of mine is looking for a senior level instrument and well completion engineer, 10 years in the position (no, not position 23b, second variant). Send your CV to me. As per my Facebook posting, idiotic applications, straight to /dev/null.
  • An associate of mine is looking for a technical safety part-time adviser. Needs to be needle sharp with respect to QRAs, and HSE safety cases. A calm demeanor to handle nonsensical questions from young engineers helps as well. Either that, or a drinking problem.
  • Hess is still looking for a measurement and allocation engineer (2 I believe). I saw that the ITB is still floating around. If you want me, you know where to find me. Not Celebrity Fitness, if you need a hint.

Support your local bookshop!  Bookalicious at The Summit Subang is a good choice. I think they focus on trilogies, quadrilogies, and other ologies. Tell them I sent you, and enjoy the look of perplexity on their faces. Those of you who have dropped my name, thanks!

Food choice of the week? Go visit the mee bandung / asam pedas stall in front of the Petaling Jaya Police Station (don’t ask).

Seen the Episode VII new trailer? Ff you say “What is episode vii?”, I disown you.

Join the Star Wars Fever:

Star Wars Trilogy Episodes IV-VI (Blu-ray + DVD), Star Wars Trilogy Episodes I-III (Blu-ray + DVD), Heir to the Jedi: Star Wars

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Oil Prices: Get Ready for the Next Leg DOWN

April 26, 2015

Nah, price will keep above USD60 after my birthday. What odds will you offer me?

Dateline 2015-03-15, Malaysia Chronicle:

After a steep drop late last year the price of oil has stabilized over the past month to right around $50 per barrel. However, that stability might not last long as there are signs on the horizon that the oil industry could be in for another leg down. That has some analysts suggesting that oil could hit $30 per barrel before rebounding later this year.

Growing concerns

In the International Energy Agency’s, or IEA, monthly report released this week it said it sees near-term trouble for oil prices. According to the Agency, its concern is that the U.S. might soon run out of spare storage capacity, which will put pressure on the price of oil this spring. The report noted that “on the face of it, the oil price appears to be stabilizing. What a precarious balance it is, however.” The report then went on to note, “[B]ehind the facade of stability, the rebalancing triggered by the price collapse has yet to run its course, and it might be overly optimistic to expect it to proceed smoothly.”

Those aren’t exactly encouraging words for oil executives or energy investors. It’s leading to some dire short-term predictions for the oil price. For example, Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE: GS ) president, Gary Cohn, said he thinks that crude could fall to as low as $30 per barrel this spring as storage capacity tightens up leaving fewer buyers of oil. It’s also not helping matters that demand for oil in the U.S. is lower in the spring as refineries switch over from producing home heating oil to summer blend gasoline. This leads to less demand for oil each spring, which could exacerbate this year’s oil glut with no other outlet for U.S. oil due to the export ban.

…

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Kelantan to include 14 questions in oil royalty suit

April 25, 2015

Dateline 2015-03-13, FMT:

The Kelantan Government has sought the High Court to include 14 questions and issues of law in the hearing of its suit against Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) for alleged breach of contract over its oil royalty.

Among others, the questions involve what rights the state government has over petroleum onshore and offshore, prior to the coming into force of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 on October 1, 1974 and the execution of the Kelantan Agreement and Kelantan Grant on May 9, 1975.

The other issues were, whether by refusing to pay cash payments to Kelantan although converting petroleum obtained offshore without paying for them, Petronas had acted in breach of Article 13 of the Federal Constitution.

…

 

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Why we should pay more for energy

April 24, 2015

Dateline 2015-03-11, FMT:

Is it time for Malaysians to pay more for energy, from electricity to petrol to gas? This question was raised at yesterday’s National Energy Forum by several speakers, including Loo Took Gee, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Environment, Green Technology and Water.

In her speech launching the event, Loo asked whether Malaysians were willing to pay more not so much due to fuel prices but due to an increase in feed-in tariffs (FIT) for the expansion of renewable energy. She wasn’t suggesting that prices be raised right away or that they should really be raised. She was merely suggesting that we should start a conversation on it.

While some groups are worried by the possibility of nuclear energy reaching our shores, which will only be considered for implementation after 2025, the argument for or against it is irrelevant for now.

…

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Cost rationalisation in O&G needed to improve efficiency

April 23, 2015

Was this after or before the CORAL 2.0 initiative announcement? And what is this 10% reduction capex rubbish? I have been referred to the 30% reduction memo.

Dateline 2015-03-10, The Borneo Post:

Significant cost rationalisation in the Malaysian oil and gas sector is expected by analysts to improve operating efficiency.

According to the research arm of MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd (MIDF Research), most, if not all, global oil and gas producers including Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) have reiterated that there will be significant cost rationalisation in 2015 and beyond.

“Petronas was quoted in the media indicating that it will be reducing capital expenditures by -10 per cent and operating expenditures by approximately -25 per cent to -30 per cent,” MIDF Research said.

…

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IEM Shout Out – Conversion of Organic Wastes and Unused Biomass to Valuable Materials and Energy Using Sub-Critical Water

April 22, 2015

This is a shout out for the IEM. The Chemical Engineering Technical Division (know as CETD to friends) will be having a talk on Wed afternoon, 6th May, 2015, by Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshida .

Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshida obtained B. Eng. Degree in 1969 and Dr. Eng. in 1977 in Chemical Engineering from Osaka Prefecture University, Japan. He worked for this University from 1974 to 2013. He became a professor in 1995. From 2013, he has been working for Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, UPM as a contract professor.

Sub-Critical water is high temperature and high pressure water but lower than those of critical points (647 K, 22.1 MPa). It shows three typical characteristics. Firstly, sub-critical water (sub-CW) has a great hydrolysis power at around 520 K and organic solids quickly decompose into low-molecular-weight valuable materials. Secondly, sub-CW works as a strong solvent and can extract oil almost perfectly at once. Thirdly, when the temperature is higher than about 600 K, hydrolysis power becomes small and pyrolysis power becomes great. The pyrolysis reaction can convert organics to liquid oil (alternative heavy crude oil) and/or solid char.

You can register here, and download the brochure here.

Leave a Comment » | Chemical, engineering, Malaysia | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

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