Saturday Star 2009-04-11 – Job Opportunities

April 14, 2009

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

  • Oo, PETRONAS has a full page advert. Those of you who believe you are worth the skewed starting salary PETRONAS offers (and PETRONAS doesn’t pay engineering companies enough to offer the same skewed salary), please apply.  Note that this time round, they are looking for 7 years plus experience. Send your CVs to talent@petronas.com.my.
  • Dialog is looking for you to ‘further your ambition in the oil & gas industry’. There are positions for IT support, network, tech sales, project. Send an email here or snail mail to Humarn Resources Department, Dialog Group of Companies, 109, Block G, Phileo Damansara 1, No. 9, Jalan 16/11, 46350.
  • Petrofac is looking for a reservoir engineer, junior petroleum engineer, junior reservoir engineer. Email to vacancy.kl@petrofac.com, or snail mail to Human Resource.

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

Tales from the Engineering Floor – What Cheap Flight?

April 13, 2009

Here’s a quick one. SOGE was trying to get some consulting staff from Indonesia quickly. Of course wanted the most cost effective (read cheap) fare.

Well, it turned out that for the period we wanted to send people across, if you added less than 5 USD to the cost of the AirAsia flights we were looking at, you can someone across on business class.

And no, we didn’t send that person on business class. Can you imagine the uproar it would cause:

“The got WHAT class?”

“But pak, when XXX went across, they said that they got shrimp and mango salad onboard…”

What do you think we are, some posh company listed on the Helsinki Exchange?

1 Comment | engineering | Permalink
Posted by Wata

From the Star – Perisai Seeks Tie-ups

April 8, 2009

Dateline 2009-04-07 (story link here):

KUALA LUMPUR: Perisai Petroleum Teknologi Bhd hopes to either build or acquire more strategic marine assets to assist in the offshore installation of small fields and deepwater developments, says managing director Nagendran Nadarajah.

He said the company planned to co-own the assets via partnerships and joint ventures, as financing was somewhat limited in the current economic slowdown.

“Now is the time to build more strategic assets in preparation for the next rebound in oil price.

Another opportunity for you wheeler dealers out there.

You can subscribe to an online version of the paper at the Bluehyppo site, follow links to e-browse.

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Posted by Wata

The SOGE Office – A Fuller Office

April 7, 2009

Another Photosynth view of the office. We’re getting a bit more fuller, and I suppose we have enough money to pay for the rent and the lights. We’d like some more work during these trying times.

Sorry for the lack of news. Been kinda distracted, and out of the country.

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

Saturday Star 2009-04-04 – Job Opportunities

April 6, 2009

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

  • None for O&G engineers.

So, it’s an employers’ market. I’m thinking of paying SOGE’s next engineer a pound of salt, and some garlic-flavoured peanuts.

On a separate note, congratulations to Husni Sulaiman, Business Development Manager of Pöyry Energy KL. Wonder what happened to Scientege?

1 Comment | engineering | Permalink
Posted by Wata

Ergonomics

April 4, 2009

In all industries, you require your equipment to be designed ergonomically, so that there is:

  • less physical stress on the operator.
  • less chance of the operator not operating a critical equipment because he can’t find it or it’s too difficult to reach.
  • less chance of the operator swearing at engineers, and saying that we design equipment for 5 foot tall blokes with 4 foot arms.

Now, the same principle applies to consumer interfaces. What do you think of this example, where the photo was taken at eye level:

Elevator Menara Public Bank

Elevator Menara Public Bank

All polished metal, labels bending into the wall… you have to go down to figure out which one the ‘close door’ button is.

Please don’t employ this company to do your DCS interfaces, SOGE can inject some common sense

9 Comments | engineering, Malaysia | Permalink
Posted by Wata

How ChemEngs Do It

April 1, 2009

Maybe I should run a contest, and get you readers to decide which phrase I should print onto t shirts. Send your votes to tshirt@igl.com.my, and if you can come up with more interesting phrases, put them in the comments! Join the IChemE for to satisfy your head and your inner child.

How Chem Engs Do It

How Chem Engs Do It

Leave a Comment » | engineering | Permalink
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Saturday Star 2009-03-28 – Job Opportunities

March 30, 2009

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

  • ExxonMobil is looking for Instrumentation, Electrical, Mechanical, Prodution Trainee Technician. By applying and graduating from the course, you will add to Malaysia’s bank of trained O&G personnel, as rumour has it most people leave after getting all knowledge they can, and as soon as they realise more money can be got elsewhere, though I suspect the current eco situation might put a damper in that plan. Apply  here, or snail mail to Recruitment, Human Resources, Level 17, Menara ExxonMobil, 50088 KLCC, KL.
  • Optimal (tagline Optimise your Career Potential) is looking for a Test & Inspection Engineer. Visit their website, or apply here.
  • RasGas is looking for field operators. CVs to be submitted here. You can phone the local recruiters at +603 2078 1918. I believe RasGas is a JV, one of the partners being ExxonMobil.

Sigh, since I have moved with Synergy out of KL, will you patronise Chee Meng in my memory? I’ll probably be there next Wednesday.

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

From Bernama – Oil Price Drop Will Not Badly Affect Malaysia Earnings

March 29, 2009

Dateline 2009-03-18 (story link here):

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) — PETRONAS recorded revenue of RM223.1 billion and a pre-tax profit of RM95.5 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2008 during which the average world oil price was US$82 a barrel, Deputy Prime Minister and also Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.

However, taking into view that Petronas’ current financial year will end only on March 31, 2009, the real effects of the drop in world oil price on Petronas’ earnings cannot be ascertained as yet, he said.

Najib said this in his written reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) who wanted to know the estimated reduction in PETRONAS earnings following the oil price drop in 2007 and 2008 and the consequent amount of drop in the government’s earnings following the world oil price drop.

Hmmm, there are so many ways the topic can be pessimistic. ‘Oil Price Will Badly Affect 2010 Earnings’, ‘New PM First Term Ends with Country in Debt’.

I wonder how this will be written into the history books when they review the transition of Malaysia’s leadership? And isn’t there a transition of PETRONAS leadership in the works as well?

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

Tales from the Engineering Floor – Using the Force

March 28, 2009

I’ve been on drugs for the last couple of days (okay, I’ve got a cold, and lost my voice) so I have been in a semi-conscious state due to the effects of cough and cold medication.

SOGE is running a series of interviews, so I attempt to turn up and give the candidates an opportunity to sell themselves, seeing they have taken the time and effort to travel from their abodes, which in some cases is very far. Kudos for their dedication.

Anyhow, as I breeze through the interviews in silence, there was one point where I was jolted awake. While interviewing a candidate on how to size a CSTR, the candidate mentioned that they ‘guessed’ the size.

Exsqueeze me? A ChemEng student, doing their final year project, guessed the size of a piece of equipment that has a fundamental sizing parameter? What are they teaching in universities these days? Using the force and insight to come up with solutions? What, they ran out of textbooks and slide rules, not to mention common sense.

If the student’s supervisor accepts this piece of equipment sized as it is and I find out about it, I promise you that I will make the name of the supervisor and the university public for all to see, and complain to the BEM, IEM and IChemE to boot.

4 Comments | engineering, Malaysia | Permalink
Posted by Wata

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