Saturday Star 2015-01-10 – Job Opportunities

January 12, 2015

Happy Writing Wrong Check Dates Week. 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’m lining up jobs for next quarter, for IGL Services. Whisper to (better yet, carpe jugulum) your boss, and send work my way.
  • Nothing this week. Must be the calm before the USD35/barrel oil.

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? How if you visit Vietnam, how about visiting and updating GoHalalVietnam! for your food needs. For your other needs, talk to your local tour guide/ concierge / man on the street.

Extract from my book choice of the week:

“I am impressed by his argument: ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, how ever improbable, must be -‘

“-wrong,” Soames brusquely completed my sentence.


Professor Stewart’s Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries

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Posted by Wata

GLOBAL OIL WARS: Malaysia impacted, Najib squeezed

January 11, 2015

Dateline 2014-11-03, Malaysian Chronicle:

IN AN article titled “A Pump War?” Thomas Friedman raises an intriguing question: is there a global oil war under way pitting the United States and Saudi Arabia against Russia and Iran?

“Think about this: four oil producers – Libya, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria – are in turmoil today, and Iran is hobbled by sanctions. Ten years ago, such news would have sent oil prices soaring. But today, the opposite is happening,” Friedman writes.

If Friedman is right, oil prices could remain stagnant for a long time and this could impact Malaysia negatively.

…

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Petronas to drop unfeasible contracts as oil prices drop, warns CEO

January 11, 2015

The Malaysian Insider, dateline 2014-11-02:

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) has warned that it will not hesitate to drop contracts that are not economically feasible as oil prices remain under pressure.

Petronas president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas said in such market conditions, the company will be monitoring its cost closely.

“Petronas regularly conducts portfolio reviews to assess project feasibility,” Shamsul told the Edge Weekly in an email.

…

 

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Posted by Wata

Figuring out the South China Sea

January 10, 2015

Dateline 2014-11-02, Deccan Chronicle:

The issues surrounding the South China Sea have been under the radar of the Asian public for a long time. Except the scholars and people who are directly concerned with it do not seem to have any interest in the region.  The awareness of it, in the South Asian region is limited. The South China Sea has generated a lot of interest in the recent past. Estimation of the presence of Oil and natural gas, the maritime route and security of the nations in the region are just a few brow-raising issues that have put the spotlight back in the area in the recent times.
The SCS is best known for its disputed boundaries. There are over 250 tiny islands, reefs, and sand bars that form part of the South China Sea.

These islands are grouped into a few archipelagoes namely Paracel, Spratly, Paratas, Macce-lesfield and Scarborough Shoal.  China, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam share their borders on the SCS.

…

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Posted by Wata

O&G firms going ahead with spending and plans despite low oil prices

January 7, 2015

Outdated?

Dateline 2014-11-01, The Star:

WITH the oil and gas (O&G) sector being one of the crucial sectors for the Malaysian economy and stock market, the downward spiral of oil prices in the last four months have left many jittery.

Sure, many were already aware of the steady build-up of oil supply in North America and the softening demand in Europe and Asia. Then there were also geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

While oil prices had been slowly nudging downward throughout the year, the sudden almost 30% drop in the last few weeks caught many by surprise.

On Oct 1, Saudi Arabia lowered prices on its crude exports to Asia. This move signalled that the world’s largest exporter was looking to defend its market share rather than buttress prices.

…

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

Saturday Star 2015-01-03 – Job Opportunities

January 5, 2015

Happy Writing Wrong Check Dates Week. 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’m lining up jobs for next quarter, for IGL Services. Whisper to (better yet, carpe jugulum) your boss, and send work my way.
  • Nothing this week.

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? How if you visit Vietnam, how about visiting and updating GoHalalVietnam! for your food needs. For your other needs, talk to your local tour guide/ concierge / man on the street.

Extract from my book choice of the week:

“I am impressed by his argument: ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, how ever improbable, must be -‘

“-wrong,” Soames brusquely completed my sentence.


Professor Stewart’s Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries

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

Low prices won’t hurt M’sian O&G companies

January 4, 2015

Track the liquid gold here.

Dateline 2014-10-31, The Star:

Malaysia’s oil and gas (O&G) sector could very well remain immune to falling oil prices as it continues to be bolstered by monies flowing from Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).

CIMB Research said it expected Petronas’ spending to continue flowing to refiners as well as O&G service companies.

It also said the shale gas revolution, which was one of the contributing factors for the decline in the oil price, was positive for liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas and ethane shipping products.

This would translate into stronger order prospects for gas carriers and product and chemical tankers, CIMB Research said.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, declined to US$82.60 a barrel on Oct 16, the lowest in almost four years.

…

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Posted by Wata

M’sia to benefit from fall in oil prices

January 3, 2015

Hah!

Dateline 2014-11-05, Free Malaysia Today:

A research house has said that while the decline in oil prices will have a positive impact on Malaysia’s trade surplus due to its position as a net oil importer since January this year, it would likely be insignificant given the small oil trade deficit.

RHB Research said Malaysia turned into a net oil importer this year when it imported a net amount of RM3 billion in the first eight months of 2014 compared with a net export of RM2.1 billion in the same period last year.

“We estimate that for every US$10 per barrel fall in the average crude oil price, government revenues would be reduced by RM4 billion, but this would be mitigated by a corresponding reduction in expenditure through a lower fuel subsidy bill, with a potential reduction of RM2.5 billion,” it said in a statement Tuesday.

…

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Posted by Wata

AmResearch optimistic of Petronas Gas

January 2, 2015

Dateline 2014-11-06, Yahoo News:

AMRESEARCH expects Petronas Gas Bhd to reach a final investment decision (FID) on the Pengerang liquefied natural gas regasification terminal (RGT) by the end of the year, following Petronas’ FID for the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid).

AmResearch’s optimism is hinged on the fact that Petronas Gas will likely hold the controlling equity stake in the RGT while its other partners, possibly Dialog and Vopak, will have the remaining stake.

AmResearch is sticking to its “hold” call on Petronas Gas with an unchanged fair value of RM24.40 per share, implying a 2015 price to earnings ratio of 27 times.

…

 

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Posted by Wata

Malaysia takes advantage of falling global prices

January 1, 2015

Dateline 2014-10-30, Energy Global:

According to Business Monitor International (BMI), the Malaysian government is taking advantage of the falling global oil and fuel prices in the past month to continue its steady reduction of fuel subsidies, with a subsidy cut for RON95 petrol and diesel implemented in October.

Prices for the two fuels rose by US$ 0.06/ltr each. This is the second significant move to tackle fuel subsidies in Malaysia over the past four years; in Q4 2013, the government cut fuel subsidies by approximately US$ 0.06/ltr for the first time in more than two years, as part of its wider efforts at reducing its budget deficit.

Malaysia’s fiscal deficit of 4.5% of GDP was the second highest among Asia’s 13 emerging markets in 2012 according to an IISD report, coming second only to India. The country’s official target is to narrow its fiscal deficit to 3.0% in 2015, with hopes for a balanced budget by 2020. In addition, Malaysia’s national debt is widening. It is the second highest among Asian emerging markets after Sri Lanka, standing at a debt to GDP ratio of approximately 53.3% in 2012.

…

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Posted by Wata

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