Sabah MP drills deep into oil blocks fiasco

July 11, 2010

The government said that the oil was never really ours in the first place. But, I guess the controversy will keep conspiracy theorists, opponents and ‘tell-all’ expose publishers in business. Anyone want to add more fuel to the fire?

From freemalaysiatoday,  dateline 2010-07-01:

KOTA KINABALU: Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui has called for a White Paper on the controversial ceding of three million acres of Sabah’s oil-rich maritime territory to Brunei.

She said Malaysians were confused and would like to know the truth behind the ceding of the two blocks, in light of the numerous statements made by various government representatives.

The statements, however, failed to answer the many lingering doubts over the move which is estimated to have caused Malaysia to lose about RM320 billion in oil and gas revenue.

“It is not just the loss of valuable oil and gas productions, but it is also the loss of Malaysian territorial waters for transportation, marine life and food resources,” said Chua.

“A White Paper on the matter would be in the interests of all Malaysians, especially to those in Sabah and Labuan.

“It is therefore with sincere intention that I propose to the Prime Minister’s Department to clarify all the doubts and ensure that the rights and interests of the people are always protected,” she added in her adjournment speech in Parliament recently.

And since we’re on the topic of conceding territory to ASEAN neighbours, here’s something from the same e-paper on Batu Puteh.


PETRONAS May Begin Ethiopian Gas Exports in 2015

July 10, 2010

Yo, PETRONAS staff who volunteer to go to dangerous places like Iraq because the pay is higher. Well, if you’re reading this, get ready for a windfall in 2015.

Taken from Bloomberg, dateline 2010-07-02:

July 2 (Bloomberg) — Petroliam Nasional Bhd., Malaysia’s state-owned oil company, may begin exporting natural gas from Ethiopia in five years, when production starts at a plant it is building in the country, a Mines Ministry official said.

Fields being developed by Petronas in Ethiopia contain as much as 4 trillion cubic feet of gas, Eshetu Chala, senior economist at the Addis Ababa-based ministry, said in an interview yesterday in Kampala, Uganda. Annual production figures have yet to be determined, he said.


Shout Out – Bringing API-U Training to Malaysia

July 9, 2010

Disclaimer: I am doing this as a favour, and I have been invited to attend the event. Please slip the keys to the DB9 into my jacket pocket at the event.

“Frontium Energy and Equity Engineering Group (E2G) are organizing our “Bringing API-U Training to Malaysia” Seminar on 12th to 16th July 2010 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The objectives of holding this event are:

  1. To setup an API User Group and Committee within the local region.
  2. To provide a full-cycle of training in plant integrity management that covers Risk Based Inspection, Fitness for Service, Damage Mechanism and Pressure Relieving Systems.
  3. To be able to keep the users updated on the changes and revision of the API technologies and standards.
  4. To specifically introduce an RBI methodology for Pressure Relief Devices, based on the latest release of API 581.

If you wish to attend, you can find the following here:


IEM Shout Out – Welding Metallurgy in Engineering Applications

July 8, 2010

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will hosting a course on the 22nd and 23rd July, 2010. You’ll get to visit TNB’s Integrated Learning Solution – ILSAS at Bangi in addition to getting 13 CPD or PDP points.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL, WELDING PROCEDURE AND WELDER QUALIFICATION

  • Basic understanding of quality assurance and quality control,understanding design of WPS, SPAR (PQR) and welder qualifications.

RESIDUAL STRESSES, NON DESTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

  • Nature of residual stress and distortion; methods of controlling distortion, NDT methods PT, MT, RT and UT, methods of destructive testing, etc

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

  • Welding Processes
  • Material and Behaviour
  • Design and Construction
  • Welding Inspection
  • Welding Technology
  • Fabrication and Application
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Non Destructive Testing

The course will be presented by En. Mohd Faisal Yusoff. Flyers for the above and other events may be obtained here.

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


From Bernama – PETRONAS Expects A Better Year Ahead

July 6, 2010

Could this be that they have a new President soon? Is Jabba going to take over?

Taken from the pages of Bernama, dateline 2010-07-01:

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) expects better results for its financial year ending March 31, 2011, despite rising concern over the global economic recovery, president and chief executive officer Shamsul Azhar Abbas said on Thursday.

“The most challenging part (moving forward) is how to manage the cost, given the uncertainties in the Eurozone economies as well as the United States and overheating growth in China,” he told a media briefing on Petronas’ financial performance.

“We are very comfortable now with the first-quarter numbers and hope to see a better year ahead,” he said this when asked on the group’s financial outlook.

Moving forward, Shamsul Azhar said Petronas was looking to review its global expansion overseas.


Saturday Star 2010-07-03 – Job Opportunities

July 5, 2010

Support me by purchasing my recommendations, or buying through my Amazon store.

First off, if you need my help to submit your CVs, donate to the blog, and I’ll review your CV to see if it is worthy of my (and my associates’) expectations. If you can’t figure out how to donate, no need to ask.

Umm, I didn’t purchase last Saturday’s papers, and there wasn’t any Recruitment section in the online version. Were people too depressed with England and Brazil exiting the World Cup?


PETRONS Dagangan the worst KLCI performer

July 1, 2010

The title says it all, though I do think it is understood you need to tag on “for the trading day” at the end.

From the Business Times, dateline 2010-06-24:

Petronas Dagangan Bhd, the retail arm of Malaysia’s state oil company, fell the most in more than two years after exceeding a technical indicator that some investors use as a signal to sell the stock.

The shares slid 4.9 per cent to RM9.30 at 9.19 am local time in Kuala Lumpur. On June 23, they jumped 5.2 per cent, increasing their 14-day relative strength index to 77, the highest since October 20.

Some traders and investors use a reading above 70 as a signal that prices have risen too rapidly and may drop.


Clamp Off

June 30, 2010

This is what happens when you either misjudge your corrosion problems, are given bad advice by your supplier of chemicals to mitigate corrosion, or unable to shutdown your critical process lines.

Clamping of Process Line

I worry whether the line has lost so much integrity that there is an possibility of spontaneous rupture. Good thing it’s not a the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.


IEM Shout Out – Introduction to Industrial NDT

June 29, 2010

This is a shout out for the IEM. My Technical Division will hosting a course on the 13th and 14th July, 2010. You’ll get to visit TNB’s Integrated Learning Solution – ILSAS at Bangi in addition to getting 13 CPD or PDP points.

OBJECTIVES

  • To identify / enumerate four (4) main types of NDT inspection methods.
  • To select the most appropriate method/technique for NDT inspections to detect surface/volumetric discontinuity and defects in accordance to relevant code and standards in industries.

The course will be presented by Mohd Murthadza B. Abd Rahman and Mohd Noor B. Abd Rani

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

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


Saturday Star 2010-06-26 – Job Opportunities

June 28, 2010

Support me by purchasing my recommendations, or buying through my Amazon store.

First off, if you need my help to submit your CVs, donate to the blog, and I’ll review your CV to see if it is worthy of my (and my associates’) expectations. If you can’t figure out how to donate, no need to ask. I take it the industry’s booming again, looking at the number of ads in today’s paper.

Murphy is looking for a subsea engineering manager. Send your applications here.

Hmm, short list this week.

As for reading recommendations, I think the Millennium Trilogy would be your best bet. I didn’t realise that the author passed away in 2004, with the first English translation of his book being published posthumously. For those who don’t know which books I’m referring to:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vintage)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest