Promote Hybrid Cars for Malaysia?

June 14, 2008

In a past article, I pondered when Malaysia would start promoting the use of hybrid vehicles, both on supporting the green movement, and on reducing fuel consumption cost. I suppose that back in the RM1.92/liter era, the savings on money did not seem to pan out.

Welcome to the RM2.70/l era (and increasing). Now, how does that hybrid engine look to you? Is it more sexier (and sensible)  engineering?

At the moment, there is a rush to install LNG converters, as the price of LNG has not gone up yet, but believe me it will. The converters costs between RM2k to RM3.5k.

The articles here and here discuss some efforts in promoting hybrid cars in Malaysia. Proton’s last public venture into the field was the EVE hybrid.

Be a geek, love the engineering, go hybrid.

 

9 Comments | engineering, Malaysia | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Geek Toy – Celcom Wireless Broadband Router

June 13, 2008

I’m a geek, facinated with the latest tech. While listening to The Tech Guy, I heard of the Cradlepoint, which takes broadband (read EVDO) enabled phones, and create a wifi hotspot. How cool is that? You can create (and share) a wifi hotspot anywhere you can get EVDO. The caveat is, EVDO is a US only service.

Now Celcom offers the same concept, but using a 3GX (3.5G to us peons), 3G, EDGE or GPRS SIM card. Imagine the possibilities:

  • Kerteh airport can get wifi without the hassle of getting a landline.
  • Heck, forget Kerteh, your house can have broadband wifi without a landline (I hear Streamyx squirming in the background).
  • Start a personal hotspot whenever you want to get online, make the spot public, and have a splash page advertising your services.
  • SME opportunities: micro Internet cafe? Roadshow internet access?

One problem is that you will be tethered to a power socket until you can figure out a portable power source.

I have been informed that there is a phone socket on the machine, so that you will be able to receive and make calls while it uses your SIM card.

Will you be able to use other service providers with this piece of equiptment? Unknown, I haven’t been given a test unit (you can tell I’m low on the food chain).

HSPDA Broadband Wireless Router  Brochure - HSDPA Broadband Wireless Router  

Celcom Vodaphone Mobile Connect Brochure - Vodaphone Mobile Connect USB Stick / USB Modem

 Contact Rizal at rizaldee@celcom.com.my or +60196201771.

 

 

9 Comments | business opportunity, engineering, Malaysia | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Malaysia – Cost of Natural Gas Price Increase

June 10, 2008

What’s been obvious to consumers in Malaysia is the ‘release’ of petrol (bahan bakar motor as they say in Indonesia), causing the pump cost to rise to RM2.70/l from RM1.92/l.

What I haven’t seen so much of is comments on the rise of gas prices. Here’s a summary:

  • Power producers – RM14.31/MMBTU from RM6.40/MMBTU (120% increase)
  • Industrial users, low consumers – RM24.54 from 9.40 (160%)
  • Industrial users, high consumers – RM32.56 from 11.32 (190%)

Natural gas is used as a raw material for many modern products. So, we can be sure that all chemical industries will hit the rakyat with a price increase which is independent for rising fuel costs.

I wonder how this will effect the Kawasan Industri Petroliam PETRONAS (KIPP) out there in Kerteh? Most of the plants there depend on gas feedstock, for example Petlin, Optimal,  Ethylene Malaysia, and the various companies listed below (I would link to the PETRONAS page, but it’s one of those funky frame pages). I guess a round of repricing, efficiency, retreating to core businesses, and mergers is in order.

 

Plant: Ethylene
Capacity: 400,000 TPA
Company: Ethylene Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, Idemitsu Petrochemicals Co Ltd, BP Chemicals
Onstream: September 1995
.
Plant: Polyethylene
Capacity: 200,000 TPA HDPE/LLDPE, 50,000 TPA Pipe compounding
Company: Polyethylene Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, BP Chemicals
Onstream: May 1995
.
Plant: Vinyl Chloride Monomer
Capacity: 400,000 TPA
Company: Vinyl Chloride (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS
Onstream: November 2000
.
Plant: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Capacity: 150,000 TPA
Company: Vinyl Chloride (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS
Onstream: September 2000
.
Plant: Ammonia / Syngas
Capacity: 450,000 TPA Ammonia, 325,000 TPA Syngas
Company: PETRONAS Ammonia Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS
Onstream: December 2000
.
Plant: Acetid Acid
Capacity: 400,000 TPA
Company: BP PETRONAS Acetyls Sdn Bhd
Partners: BP Amoco, PETRONAS
Onstream: November 2000
.
Plant: Aromatics
Capacity: 420,000 TPA Paraxylene, 145,000 TPA Benzene
Company: Aromatics Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, MJPX Co Ltd
Onstream: July 2000
.
Plant: Olefins (Second Cracker )
Capacity: 600,000 TPA Ethylene, 95,000 TPA Propylene
Company: Optimal Olefins (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, The Dow Chemical Company, Sasol Polymers Investments (Pty) Ltd
Onstream: January 2002
.
Plant: Ethylene Oxide, Ethylene Glycol
Capacity: 140,000 TPA Ethylene Oxide, 385,000 TPA Ethylene Glycols
Company: Optimal Glycols (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, The Dow Chemical Company
Onstream: February 2002
.
Plant: Ethylene Derivatives
Capacity: 30,000 TPA Ethoxylates, 75,000 TPA Ethanolamines, 60,000 TPA Glycol Ethers,140,000 TPA Butanol, 50,000 Butyl Acetate
Company: Optimal Chemicals (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, The Dow Chemical Company
Onstream: April 2002
.
Plant: Low Density Polyethylene
Capacity: 255,000 TPA LDPE
Company: Petlin (M) Sdn Bhd
Partners: PETRONAS, Sasol Polymers of South Africa, Sabic Polyethylenes B.V.
Onstream: February 2002
.

18 Comments | Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Newfield’s New Baby

June 6, 2008

Undisclosed sources say that Newfield’s Chermingat has produced first oil, but is undergoing problems typical of all newborns. Does that mean there are opportunities for nannies to help smoothen the transition? Can IGL Process Solutions provide this help?

Chermingat is located in Block PM323 offshore Peninsular Malaysia. She was built by Oilfab, with the engineering services done by MMC Oil & Gas Engineering. Ah, I remember the days when mmogel (such a weird shorthand) was an excellent company to work with. Most of the old and trusted process engineers of now have passed through its doors, passed through being the operative word.

Leave a Comment » | Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Onshore Exploration Acerage

June 4, 2008

Why doesn’t Malaysia have producing onshore oil and gas acreage? Neighbours Sumatra and Jawa have tonnes of onshore wells, as a friend of mine says, every 100 meters.

Looking at a map (sorry people, inside info only), the only onshore acreage on the Peninsular is PM322, which comes inland at Kelang Port and Western Johor (ah, that Muar mee bandung).

Looking at East Malaysia, there are 4 onshore acreages in Sarawak (SK331-334) and 4 in Sabah (SB330-332/336). Again, these lie along the coastline. I don’t believe these have ever been open for tenders and bids.

Ironic that the ‘Old Lady of Miri,’ Malaysia’s first oil producing well was onshore. Now all of Malaysia’s wells are offshore.

 Wouldn’t it be funny if we have a drilling rig raised next to the Sultan Abdul Samad bridge in Muar? or next to the Second Link?

4 Comments | Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Saturday New Straits Times 08-05-31 – Job Opportunities

June 2, 2008

I’m changing loyalties this week, mainly because I’m travelling and picked up the first Malaysian newspaper lying around on the plane seat.

I’ve only seen one advert for engineers by Talisman. The advert looks as if the printer ran out of magenta, as the whole print is green.

Have fun. 

1 Comment | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Enhanced Oil Recovery – the Malaysian Experience

May 30, 2008

I’ve found the Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary to be a useful source of info, helping me figure out where Enhanced Oil Recovery is used in Malaysia.

  • Water Alternating Gas (WAG) is a EOR method which has been looked at. I believe PRSS was looking at it when they still existed.
  • Chemical EOR is being tested as a pilot project at PCSB’s Angsi asset. Akaline surfactant is injected into the reservoir to reduce water flood residual oil saturation.  
  • I believe EMEPMI is looking at WAG, though I don’t know whether it’s a table top exercise, or they have moved to field trials.

At USD 129 / barrel, EOR is definitely more profitable.

If you know more, please write in, esp. as to what is happening in East Malaysia.

3 Comments | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Saturday Star 08-05-24 – Job Opportunities

May 27, 2008

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

  • Technip has a 2 page spread for engineers. Visit their website.
  • Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd as an ad. Occidental was the operator of Piper Alpha, by the way when things hit the fan.
  • Happy hunting. Let me have some feedback if you find this list useful. Even better, spread the news. PayPal donations welcome.

I put in a free advert for my favourite chicken rice place, Chee Meng. Go, people, go! I’m waiting for their loyalty card to come out…

1 Comment | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Custody Metering Zen

May 24, 2008

Here’s a dramatically enhanced version of a true story.

An offshore Malaysian oil and gas asset (which shall forever remain nameless unless someone beats the truth out of me) has had some custody metering problems. They have not been able to prove their liquid turbine meters. So, someone from Operations Technical Support goes out to have a look.

The person steps up to the custody metering flow computers, stares at them, becomes one with them, and tells the platform technicians:

“Cool down the computers.”

It turns out that the control room where the computers are mounted and adjoining electrical room have a defective air conditioning system, something about leaking coolent pipes, and the room has been heating up. The flow computers were heated up enough such that electronic errors in the FCs were causing tolerances to be exceeded.

So portable A/C units were directed towards the FCs. Problem solved.

When you reach this level of CT Zen, then you can be called ‘guru’.

1 Comment | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Why a Vacuum of Mid Range Senior Engineers?

May 21, 2008

A question asked often is (usually by me when a job I am doing is going pear shaped due to a rush), where are all the Malaysian mid-range engineers? By mid-range I mean those with about 8 -13 years experience.  Are they out there, lurking for the right time to reappear? I hope it isn’t when oil reaches USD 150 / barrel, and pay is given in liquid gold.

My theory is this: I think that when I returned from my studies, engineering was not a favoured career. Everyone wanted to go into finance, then IT, then anything but engineering.

So, let’s do the math. I came back in 1995. So people who entered uni then would leave around 1998-2000. So, they would have 8 years experience.

Allowing for engineers not interested in engineering due to the 1997 financial crisis (engineering projects having been cut back), then engineers would enter uni around 2000, graduate around 2003-5. These would now have 3-5 years experience.

So, us people who entered the engineering field when it was an unglamorous profession… we should be proud. Too bad pride is not a commodity we can sell.

5 Comments | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Wata

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