Ah, the new signage for the Terengganu Crude Oil Terminal (TCOT) and Onshore Slug Catcher (OSC) are up.
Nostalgia – TCOT and OSC, Kerteh
July 13, 2008
9 Comments | 
engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: Kerteh, KIPP, OSC, Paka, TCOT | 
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Posted by Wata
IEM Blog – Where’s the Forum?
July 12, 2008You may have noticed that the Institution of Engineers, IEM has started a blog page. Kudos to them for opening more channels of communication to its members, and engineers in general.
I hope they actually open a forum. A forum is more conductive to two way communication, and discussion between the different contributors. It’s designed to encourage dialogue between all parties involved in a topic, where as blog comments are not. And it will give the IEM a chance to create the first truly Malaysian engineering discussion group (excluding yours truly).
Maybe the IEM is afraid that forums will permit virtual discussion without increasing the actual physical presence of engineers at their events?
Me, I’m the Sec / Treas of the Oil, Gas and Mining Tech Division 2007-2008. If you are more comfortable in online participation, by all means, go ahead. Though I do hope to see you in the Bangunan Ingenier sometime.
1 Comment | engineering, Malaysia | Permalink
Posted by Wata
Offshore Septic Systems – Design Thoughts
July 11, 2008Different assets have varied approaches to the disposal of human waste products . The ones I am familiar with have all products are disposed of directly into the sea via a caisson / pile. Makes for a real simple design. Though, even then you can get it wrong:
- Tieing the individual septic piping together above the caisson level. That’s a good way of giving a downstairs user a scare (and a septic shower) when a higher user flushes to dispose of waste.
- Tieing in the septic piping into process drain piping. That could cause backflow of any evolved gas from the drains into your toilets. In the old days, this has caused accidents initiated by smoking customers. And smells up the process area.
- Designing too short the septic caisson / pile . It’s supposed to discharge below sea level, people! You might have a voyeuristic streak, but watching other people’s disposal products get dropped above you while you are working on the lowest deck (sea deck in my parlance) does not a happy camper make. Esp. if you are down wind.
I have worked on a project that required a full septic system. There was a bit of head scratching there. First time I thought of picking up a civil engineering book. Concept’s easy, have a tank to ferment solid products, send the water to the sea. But who does the septic tank cleaning? Indah Water?
Batfish Racha Yai Phuket
3 Comments | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: toilets | Permalink
Posted by Wata
What’s an Engineer?
July 10, 2008How’s this for recursive definitions:
- Mathematician: one who performs mathematics.
- One who performs mathematics is a mathematician.
And you can use the same circular logic to define an engineer.
I suggest defining an engineer the same way as one defines a businessman:
- engineer: one who sees engineering opportunities where no one else does.
The trick is to get your client around to the same viewpoint. Now that’s a salesman.
1 Comment | engineering | Permalink
Posted by Wata
Saturday Star 08-07-05 – Job Opportunities
July 9, 2008Another week, another scan of the Saturday Star newspaper. I’ve been on holiday for the past few days, so expect to see photos of folks I met in that time.
Here’s a list of job ads in the paper:
- MMC amec has some jobs on offer, for lead and senior engineers. E-mails here. They are seriously desperate for people, esp. process folks. They have 2 of our folks there already on secondment.
- There’s a position in Talisman for a reservoir support engineer, though I have no idea what that entails (you are either a reservoir eng, or a technician I would have thought).
- Titan Chemicals have walk in interviews for Senior Engineers/Engineer (Mech/ E/ Instr/ Process/ Prod/ Steam(Steam?)), Chemists, Technicians (Opns and Labs). The interviews will be held on the 12th of July 2008 (Sat) at Hotel Selesa, Pasir Gudang, Sejahtera Hall, Jalan Bandar, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor. Good luck to all takers.
- If you are interested in SCADA (and please, someone give me a slide presentation on SCADA vs. DCS), Mahkota Research Sdn Bhd is looking for a Senior Engineer or Engineer. E-mails here.
- MMHE is looking for engineers. Visit their site under Career Opportunities.
Happy hunting. Let me have some feedback if you find this list useful. Even better, spread the news. PayPal donations welcome.
Leave a Comment » | engineering, Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: Amec, Mahkota, MMC, MMHE, Talisman, titan | Permalink
Posted by Wata
TCOT – Officially handed over to PCSB
July 5, 2008Okay, sue me for repeating a previous article.
To quote an extract from a notice I saw:
Today, July 1, 2008, the operatorship of the Terengganu Crude Oil Terminal, Onshore Slugcatcher and condensate facilities was officially handed over to PETRONAS Carigali. The transfer of operatorship of these onshore facilities to PETRONAS Carigali is part of the terms of the Main Principles Agreement of the 2008 PSC that was signed by ExxonMobil, PETRONAS and PETRONAS Carigali last March 26.
Go visit Kerteh and visit the sites.
Leave a Comment » | Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: Kerteh, Kertih, OSC, PCSB, Petronas, TCOT | Permalink
Posted by Wata
Natural Gas Price Increase on Hold
July 4, 2008A while back, I shared the news that Malaysia Gas would raise the price of natural gas, effective July 1st, 2008
On July 1st, 2008, the government decided not to increase gas prices. Taking the following from The Star,
PETALING JAYA (July 2nd, 208): The implementation of a new gas price scheduled for Tuesday has been deferred to a later date, the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department said in a statement.
The statement referred to the Government’s earlier decision on June 4 in relation to the restructuring of petrol, diesel and gas subsidies.
Under the restructuring exercise, gas price in Peninsular Malaysia was to be increased effective Tuesday.
Malaysians get a reprieve.
Leave a Comment » | Malaysia, oil and gas | Tagged: gas price | Permalink
Posted by Wata
Offshore Watermakers Onshore
July 3, 2008All the oil and gas platforms I’ve been to have devices colloquially known as watermakers. They are desalination units that convert seawater into potable water. They usual work by reverse osmosis, as I assume thermal desalinators use too much power. Examples of watermakers are by C’Treat and Village Marine.
The commercial ones you see installed in front of shops in Malaysia work on the same principles, though they don’t work under the same conditions (they only filter good old M’sian tap water).
You know the offshore watermaker isn’t working correctly when water tastes brackish.
11 Comments | engineering, oil and gas | Permalink
Posted by Wata
NGV / CNG Motorcycles?
July 2, 2008Noting that here in Malaysia there has been a lot of interest in converting petrol vehicles to NGV guzzlers, I was musing on the idea that perhaps motorcycles could undergo the same surgery.
Sniggers could be heard, erupting into full blown laughter after introducing the plan to others.
Other parties have stifled their mirth, put pen to paper. The results are here, here, here.
5 Comments | business opportunity, engineering, Malaysia | Tagged: cng, conversion, ngv, two stroke | Permalink
Posted by Wata
Saturday Star 08-06-28 – No Job Opportunities
July 1, 2008Don’t bother opening the paper this week. Nothing in there.
IGL Process Solutions is looking for high paying work, preferably of a 6 month duration.
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…
Leave a Comment » | engineering | Tagged: Chee Meng | Permalink
Posted by Wata
