KPOC files RM125m claim against MMHE

Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd (MHB) has received a notice of arbitration from Kebabangan Petroleum Operating Company Sdn Bhd (KPOC) for alleged breach of contract and estimated losses of RM125.1 million.

MMHE received the notice dated March 13 via its solicitors on March 14.

The notice of arbitration is in relation to claims arising from a contract for the fabrication of Kebabangan (KBB) Topsides between KPOC and Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd and a novation agreement between KPOC, Sime Darby Engineering and MMHE.

According to MHB, MMHE was responsible to carry out and complete certain works for KPOC, including to construct, engineer, procure, fabricate, inspect, test and pre-commission, load-out and sea-fastening of the KBB Topsides and associated appurtenances.

MHB said the works were completed in June 2014. Note that the KBB field is located about 135km NW of Kimanis, Sabah. The KBB platform was developed as a hub for development of deepwater oil and gas assets in the North Sabah area.

In its notice of arbitration, KPOC claims that MMHE was and is in breach of the express and/or implied terms of the contracts in respect of the supply of certain valves.

"KPOC has included an indicative amount of its alleged loss as part of the notice of arbitration, at about RM125.1 million, and has claimed that it continues to allegedly suffer losses," the company said.

It said that MMHE will vigorously defend the claims made by KPOC and is exploring its options to pursue a counterclaim against KPOC.

"Apart from the arbitration proceeding, MMHE reserves its right to pursue any other legal actions as may be permitted under the Malaysian laws, including, if appropriate, to seek indemnity from the ultimate supplier of the said valves," it added.

The financial impact of the arbitration initiated by KPOC on the group is dependent on the outcome, with expected loss, if any, of about RM125.1 million or more. However, it does not expect any operational impact to arise from the claim.

Murphy Oil exits Malaysia after two decades

Murphy Oil Corp is exiting Malaysia after two decades of operations, with the divestment of its Malaysian oil and gas assets in an all-cash transaction worth US$2.127 billion (RM8.62 billion).

The transaction value has yet to include an up to US$100 million (RM405.32 million) bonus payment contingent upon certain future exploratory drilling results prior to October 2020, the group said in a statement.

Murphy said its subsidiaries — Murphy Sabah Oil Co Ltd and Murphy Sarawak Oil Co Ltd — will be sold to Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Ltd (PTTEP) by the end of second quarter of this year.

It said its exit from Malaysia simplifies the company and enables it to enhance focus on its Western hemisphere assets.

Murphy said it will allocate proceeds from the transaction to advance "strategic priorities", including returning cash to shareholders and reducing debt.

"Under the terms of the transaction, Murphy will exit the country of Malaysia. Beginning with the first quarter 2019 earnings release, the Malaysian operations will be reported as a 'discontinued operation' and classified as 'held for sale' for financial reporting purposes.

"After 20 years of successful operations in Malaysia, I am pleased to announce this all-cash transaction benefiting our shareholders by fully monetizing our proved and probable reserves. The transaction will provide us with greater financial flexibility and allow us to continue returning cash to our shareholders through share repurchases," Murphy president and chief executive officer Roger W Jenkins said in a statement. 

"I would like to thank our long-term partners in Malaysia, Petronas, Petronas Carigali and Pertamina. Most importantly, I would like to thank our committed Malaysian staff for their hard work and endless dedication to our company and we look forward to their successful transition to PTTEP," Jenkins added.

According to Murphy, proved reserves net to Murphy at year-end 2018 were 816 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mmboe), of which 16% or 129 Mmboe were attributable to Malaysia. And of the 129 Mmboe of proved reserves, 70 Mmboe are characterized as proved undeveloped.

Suspek pencemar Sg. Kim Kim Pasir Gudang dijangka didakwa esok

Pemilik syarikat tayar kitar semula, antara tiga suspek ditahan Isnin lalu, yang dipercayai membuang sisa toksik ke Sungai Kim Kim baru-baru ini, dijangka didakwa di mahkamah seawalnya esok.

Menteri Tenaga, Sains, Teknologi, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim (MESTECC), Yeo Bee Yin berkata, kertas siasatan telahpun siap dan dihantar ke pejabat Timbalan Pendakwa Raya pagi tadi untuk mendapatkan penilaian dan pertimbangan untuk mendakwa.

"(Dan) kita harap dapat dakwa (suspek) esok di mahkamah. Jika sabit kesalahan, dia akan dipenjara maksimum lima tahun dan juga denda RM500,000 di bawah Seksyen 34B Akta Kualiti Alam Sekeliling 1974," katanya kepada pemberita di Menara Aqabah, Majlis Perbandaran Pasir Gudang (MPPG) di sini, hari ini.

Beliau juga telah menghubungi Peguam Negara, Tommy Thomas, mengenai kemungkinan mengenakan beberapa tuduhan terhadap suspek memandangkan kesalahan dilakukan adalah serius dan hukuman setakat ini tidak mencukupi.

"Memandangkan Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) sudah siap siasatan, kita akan dakwa dahulu tetapi ia tidak dihadkan kepada undang-undang ini sahaja, dia boleh didakwa di atas Kanun Keseksaan dan mungkin akta lain," katanya.

Yeo berkata, berdasarkan keputusan analisis terhadap empat sampel diambil JAS, pihaknya mendapati terdapat pelarut organik benzene, toulena, xilena dan ethilbenzena serta D-Limonina. Pelarut D-Limonina digunakan untuk proses pirolysis tayar.

Berdasarkan analisis berkenaan, pihaknya telah mengenal pasti pemilik kilang haram itu sebagai suspek utama.

Ketika ditanya sejauh mana keluasan kawasan yang terjejas akibat pencemaran itu, Yeo berkata, pihaknya perlu memastikan punca pencemaran merebak terlebih dahulu.

"Saya fikir terdapat beberapa sebab dan faktor yang menyebabkan ia merebak, mungkin disebabkan oleh hujan pada 11 Mac," katanya.

Ditanya sama ada pencemaran itu telah dikawal, beliau berkata: "Kami mahu mengetahui keluasan kawasan (pencemaran). Saya akan menghadiri mesyuarat selepas ini, kami mahu mengetahuinya dan di mana sebenarnya (pencemaran) dan bagaimana mahu mengawalnya," katanya.

Yeo berkata, yang penting sekarang ialah kerja pembersihan sungai berkenaan (di bawah Kerajaan Negeri) secepat mungkin bagi mengekang pencemaran dari terus berlaku.

Sementara itu, JAS juga menyediakan serta memasang pengesan gas di ketinggian berbeza sekitar kawasan Pasir Gudang untuk memantau kualiti udara dan kandungan kimia.

JAS turut mengenal pasti 252 kilang di Pasir Gudang yang memproses bahan kimia.

"Kita akan gerakkan sumber seluruh negara untuk menyiasat setiap kilang selepas krisis ini. Sebab sekarang tumpuan utama, kita sekat dulu impak ini (kesan pencemaran) dan kemudian, kita akan siasat kilang lain," katanya.

Melaka teroka bidang minyak dan gas

Kerajaan Melaka berkongsi kepakaran dengan pihak swasta bagi meneroka bidang baharu membabitkan sektor cari gali minyak dan gas di negeri ini.

Perkongsian pintar di antara Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka (PKNM) menerusi anak syarikatnya, PKNM Energy Sdn Bhd dengan Dayang Enterprise Sdn Bhd dan Main Velocity Sdn Bhd itu dijangka mampu menjadikan sektor terbabit sebagai sumber pendapatan baharu, sekali gus dapat menjana ekonomi.

Ketua Menteri, Adly Zahari, berkata perkongsian kepakaran terbabit mampu memberi manfaat besar bukan saja kepada pembangunan ekonomi negeri, malah turut memenuhi keperluan dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

Beliau berkata, menerusi perjanjian itu, semua syarikat berkenaan akan berusaha mencari peluang baharu dengan meneroka setiap lokasi strategik di negeri ini yang mempunyai bahan api terbabit.

"Tempoh setahun sudah memadai untuk kita meneroka bidang ini dan sudah pasti hasilnya nanti akan memberi keuntungan kepada negeri serta rakyat keseluruhannya," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas menyaksikan majlis menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MoU) tiga syarikat berkenaan di sini, hari ini.

PKNM Energy diwakili Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PKNM, Ridhuan Affandi Abu Bakar; Dayang Enterprise diwakili Pengarah Urusannya, Datuk Tengku Yusof Tengku Ahmad, manakala Main Velocity pula diwakili Pengarahnya, Syarifah Fatin Amirah Syed Abdul Rahman.

Yang turut hadir, Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Datuk Hasim Hasan dan Pegawai Kewangan Negeri, Datuk Hanafi Sakri.

Sementara itu, Ridhuan berkata, PKNM meluas dan mengembangkan lagi aktiviti perniagaan sedia ada dengan menceburi bidang minyak dan gas.

Katanya, usaha itu susulan terdapat banyak projek mega minyak dan gas di negeri ini seperti projek Diesel Euro Five oleh PETRONAS serta projek pengembangan loji jana kuasa eletrik oleh EDRA Energy.

"Dengan kepakaran yang ada pada Dayang Enterprise dan Main Velocity, hasrat untuk menceburi bidang minyak dan gas akan berjaya dilaksanakan, sekali gus dapat membuahkan hasil lebih baik serta menyumbang semula kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negeri," katanya.

T7 Global bags job from Petronas and Vestigo

T7 Global Bhd has bagged two contracts, with the first to provide splash zone structural repair and maintenance to Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, and the second to provide manpower services to Vestigo Petroleum Sdn Bhd

The Petronas job was secured by its subsidiary, Tanjung Offshore Services Sdn Bhd (TOS), who received the letter of award on Dec 24, 2018. The deal is for two years beginning Jan 2, 2019, T7 Global said in a stock exchange filing today.

"The said contract is based on the unit rates as stipulated in the contract price schedule," it said. There is an option for TOS to extend the contract for one additional year.

Separately, TOS' subsidiary Fircroft Tanjung Sdn Bhd had received a letter of award from Vestigo on Oct 19, 2018 for an umbrella contract for the provision of manpower services.

The contract is also for two years, starting Oct 19, 2018, and comes with an option to extend for another one year, T7 Global said.

"The technical services and deliverables provided for this contract shall be delivered based on scope of work and duration stipulated in the contract documents and/or in each work order issued to Fircroft Tanjung," the group explained.

Meanwhile, Fircroft will obtain and maintain a valid license with Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) throughout the duration of the said contract, T7 Global said.

The contracts are expected to contribute positively towards the earnings and net assets per share of T7 Global for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2019 (FY19), it said.

Penolong Pengarah DOSH Johor didenda RM50,000 terima rasuah project RAPID

Seorang Penolong Pengarah Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (JKKP) Johor didenda RM50,000 oleh Mahkamah Sesyen di sini, hari ini, kerana menerima rasuah RM30,000 pada 2017.

Hakim Kamarudin Kamsun menjatuhkan hukuman itu ke atas Ismail Busrah, 39, yang mengaku bersalah sejurus pertuduhan dibacakan terhadapnya oleh jurubahasa mahkamah.

Tertuduh didakwa menerima wang tunai RM30,000 dengan tiada balasan daripada pengurus sebuah syarikat petroleum, Norazman Abdul Latif, yang diketahui ada hubungan dengan tugas rasmi tertuduh sebagai Pegawai Penyelia Projek 'Engineering Procurement Construction Commissioning of Field Ereted Tanks' di RAPID, Pengerang.

Tertuduh didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu di lampu isyarat menghala ke Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, di sini, antara jam 2.15 petang hingga 2.30 petang 31 Oktober 2017.

Tertuduh didakwa mengikut Seksyen 165 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum dua tahun atau denda atau kedua-duanya, jika sabit kesalahan.

Pendakwaan dilakukan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Mohammed Heikal Ismail, manakala tertuduh tidak diwakili peguam.

Terdahulu, tertuduh dalam rayuan meringankan hukuman memberitahu mahkamah bahawa dirinya adalah pekerja cemerlang.

"Saya penjawat awam yang cemerlang dan pernah mendapat anugerah cemerlang sebanyak dua kali," katanya.

Petronas rekod pendapatan RM251B

Keuntungan Selepas Cukai (PAT) Kumpulan Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) merekodkan peningkatan 22 peratus kepada RM55.3 bilion bagi tahun kewangan 2018 berbanding RM45.5 bilion pada tahun sebelumnya.

Ia dipacu purata harga minyak yang lebih tinggi selain pengukuhan nilai ringgit berbanding dolar Amerika Syarikat.

Pendapatan Kumpulan juga meningkat 12 peratus kepada RM251 bilion berbanding RM223.6 bilion bagi tahun kewangan sama.

Sementara itu bagi prestasi suku ke empat 2018, Petronas merekodkan PAT sejumlah RM14.3 bilion, penurunan 21 peratus berbanding RM18.2 bilion pada suku sama tahun sebelumnya.

Pendapatan bagi suku itu bagaimanapun meningkat 13 peratus kepada RM69.9 bilion berbanding RM61.8 bilion.

"Petronas merekodkan prestasi kewangan kukuh pada 2018 disokong usaha kami meningkatkan kecekapan operasi dan komersial kami," menurut Presiden dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan Petronas, Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin dalam satu sidang media, di sini hari ini.

Pada 2018, Petronas melabur 46.8 bilion perbelanjaan modal merangkumi 54 peratus peringkat domestik dan 46 peratus peringkat antarabangsa.

"Bagi 2019, kami jangka akan melabur modal lebih tinggi dari RM50 bilion. Jika sebelum ini modal banyak dilabur untuk Kompleks Bersepadu Pengerang (PIC), kini ia akan dilaburkan untuk peluang baharu terutama pada bahagian huluan," katanya.

"Secara tradisi kami membelanjakan 70 peratus modal untuk pasaran domestik, namun susulan sumber minyak dan gas yang semakin berkurangan, kami perlu melabur di luar Malaysia.

"Namun jika dilihat secara keseluruhan dan jangka panjang, kami melabur secara signifikan di peringkat domestik," tambah Wan Zulkiflee.

Sementara itu Wan Zulkiflee menjangkakan industri minyak dan gas akan terus berdepan persekitaran mencabar susulan ketidaktentuan pasaran dan risiko geopolitik.

"Kami menetapkan segala perancangan kumpulan adalah berdasarkan penanda aras harga minyak AS$66 setong," tambah Wan Zulkiflee.

KNM bags US$4.86mil job in Bahrain

KNM Group's wholly-owned subsidiary FBM-KNM FZCO has won a US$4.86mil contract to supply carbon steel pressure vessels from TTSJV WLL for the BMP Modernisation Programme-Bahrain.
 
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, it said that the supply and delivery duration would be for 12 months.
 
KNM noted that the award was subject to certain risks, mainly in the power, oil, gas, petrochemical and energy industries, but with its vast experience, the group may undertake efforts to mitigate the risks.
 
"The contract is expected to contribute positively to the group's earnings for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2019 and Dec 31, 2020," it said.
 
FBM-KNM FZCO, incorporated in the United Arab Emirates, is principally involved in the design and manufacture of air-cooled heat exchangers, specialty shell and tube heat exchangers and process gas waste heat boilers for the oil, gas, petrochemical and desalination industries.
 
TTSJV WLL is a jointly-owned company incorporated in Bahrain by the Technip group of companies and Samsung Engineering Co Ltd.