Talisman Energy Reports $837 Million in Cash Flow

May 16, 2010

The article actually talks about Talisman in general, but there topics of interest to Malaysians as well:

In Malaysia, production averaged 35,000 boe/d, an increase of 9% over the previous period and 31% higher than the first quarter of 2009 when PM-3 CAA was shutdown to commission the Northern Fields oil development.


Diving Photos – Terumbu Kili Redang

May 15, 2010

Yup, there is another dive spot in Redang that is really called Sharon Stone, so sue me. I can make up a whole lotta word innuendos from this one.

I need a new camera (how does the Canon EOS 5D Mark II grab you?), so increase the national reading average by buying, I mean reading books I recommend.

A book I like to use to identify fish is Asia Pacific Reef Guide, 3rd REVISED EDITION 2007. Nice clear descriptions, photos, and a few war stories thrown in. BTW, if you have a fish identification book recommendation, I’m all gills.


Murphy Oil Announces First Quarter 2010 Earnings

May 14, 2010

The article actually talks about Murphy Oil in general, but there topics of interest to Malaysians as well:

Oil production declined in Malaysia in the 2010 quarter compared to 2009 due to a lower percentage of the Kikeh field’s gross production being allocatable to the Company under the production sharing contract. But this impact was somewhat offset in Malaysia by new condensate volumes associated with a natural gas field offshore Sarawak.

The charges in 2010 were generated due to a combination of a stronger U.S. dollar versus the British pound and a weaker dollar versus the Malaysian ringgit. The stronger U.S. dollar led to foreign currency losses on dollar based liabilities in the sterling functional U.K. downstream operations, and the stronger Malaysian ringgit led to foreign currency losses on ringgit based income tax liabilities in the dollar functional Malaysian oil and gas operations.


IEM Shout Out – Visit to CUF Gebeng

May 13, 2010

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will hosting a visit to the Centralised Utility Facilities, Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang on Saturday, 22nd May, 2010. You’ll get tea and lunch in addition to  4 CPD points.

Centralised Utility Facilities (CUF) is one of the business divisions of PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB). PGB operates 2 Centralised Utility Facilities (CUF) in Peninsular Malaysia, and one of them is located in Gebeng Integrated Petrochemical Complex, Pahang. CUF (Gebeng) was set up in year 1999 as part of development of Gebeng Integrated Petrochemical Complex. It provides centralised utilities such as steam, power, demineralised water, nitrogen gas and others to the nearby Petrochemical plants.

The visit is strictly limited to only thirty (30) participants registered on a first come, first served basis. Members who are interested in the trip are requested to return the attached reply slip to the IEM Secretariat by 17 May 2010 (Monday) together with a commitment fee of RM 100.00 per person, made payable to “The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia”. This commitment fee must be settled prior to the visit.

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

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


The SOGE Story – Training

May 12, 2010

In case you think that Synergy Oil & Gas Engineering Sdn Bhd doesn’t have staff, or chains them to their desks… we do feed them once in a while, you know. This was a Pipenet training sesh. Guess which one’s the trainer?


IEM Shout Out – Use of Organic Matter from Agro-Industrial Processes

May 11, 2010

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will hosting a talk on the 13th May, 2010. It’ll be at 5:30 pm (makan-makan at 5:00). You still gotta climb those steps at Wisma IEM.

Malaysia is one of the leading countries in agricultural-based industries in the ASEAN region. Many industrial processes are used in the chain of agro-based industries. … There are several technologies available to manage the organic matters from the processes

Two speakers will be making the presentation. The first speaker is Mr. Reza Dzulkiflee, who is a Mechanical Engineer by qualification. Currently he is the Operation Manager of BIOTEC. The second speaker is Mr. Baptiste Kervyn who is an Agronomical Engineer. He is the CEO of BIOTEC.

Get the form here.  Flyers for the above and other events may be obtained here. A map to Wisma IEM is presented here. It’s the building identified as ‘Puteri Nursing College.’


Saturday Star 2010-05-08 – Job Opportunities

May 10, 2010

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

  • SBM are looking for a looot of people, so I guess the international FPSO/floating solutions market is growing. They want structural engineers, snr process engineers, process eng,  metallurgist/ welding engineer, snr electrical eng, marine eng, hydrodynamic eng, snr rotating eqt eng, snr static/ package eng, project eng, planning eng. Send email here, or snail mail to SBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Suite 2B-09-01, Block 2B, Level 9, Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen 5, 50470 KL, or call +603 2773 5300.
  • BP “Ensuring a bright future for all through positive values” (ironic, considering the attention given to its Gulf Gusher) is being anti-engineer this week. Accounting majors, send in your applications online here.
  • SABIC is looking for people,  plant operator (polyethylene and others), electrical tech, instrument tech, chemist. You can apply via email here or here. Or key in your resumes online here. Anyone planning to go to the walk in interviews?



This week I’m recommending some child friendly stuff. My kids have been dancing to Phineas and Ferb, the soundtrack for hours on end. Best user endorsement I’ve seen yet.


Malaysian Oil Rig Deploys RFID

May 7, 2010

I wonder if they’ll put RFID scanners in the living quarters, smoko room and the galley entrance?

Taken from RFID Journal:

Malaysian Oil Rig Deploys RFID for Man-Down Monitoring

Axcess International developed the system, which features personnel badges containing active RFID tags and motion sensors to detect if a worker stops moving.

Apr. 28, 2010—An oil company that asked to remain unnamed has begun installing an RFID-based “Man-Down” monitoring and locating system on an oil-drilling platform in Malaysia. The firm plans to soon begin providing badges to its dozens of high-risk workers for each shift on the platform, to track when they become inactive, possibly indicating injury. Axcess International Inc. developed the system specifically for this customer, based on its own existing DotWireless technology, but is now offering it to other oil companies, as well as those in other industries, such as mining, says Axcess’ CEO, Allan Griebenow.


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.


The SOGE Story – Kemasik Upgraded

May 5, 2010

I was in Kerteh recently on a business trip. I dropped by at Pantai Kemasik, and took a few photos to show you rookies some of the attractions of Kerteh, and to show veterans what they have done to spruce up the place. The indigenous keropok lekor can be found in the gerai’s of old.

Strangely, I didn’t see any signs saying that PETRONAS helped in the upgrade. Doesn’t their ringgit flow south of Mesra Mall?