Libya's Biggest Oil Field Sharara to reopen

Libya’s biggest oil field, Sharara, reopened as crude began to move through a pipeline connected to the Zawiya refinery, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

Oil began to be distributed through the pipeline on Wednesday, and is expected to reach Zawiya Thursday night, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information hasn’t been announced.

Libya’s overall production is 491,000 bopd, National Oil Corp. Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said Thursday at a conference in Paris. Daily output averaged 420,000 to 460,000 bbl over the past few days, another person with direct knowledge of production said.

Petronas Lubricants expands China plant

Petronas invested RMB600 million (RM384 million) to expand its lubricant-blending plant in Shandong, China to meet the market’s growing demand for the product.

In a statement, Petronas president and group CEO Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin said the annual output of the plant within the Weifang Economic Development Zone was expected to increase from 45,000 to 150,000 tonnes, which included automotive and industrial lubricant.

“The second phase expansion at our Shandong plant adds much-needed production capacity that will help us meet the soaring demand for our products.

"This strategic expansion of our footprint in China reflects the great importance we attach to our local customers here as well as our confidence in Petronas' prospects for future growth in the Chinese market," Wan Zulkiflee said.

Sabah SHELL Malikai project named best for design and engineering

The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) has awarded Shell Malaysia with the highest honour in design and engineering.

The IEM Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award 2017, presented to an oil and gas company for the first time in three decades, was awarded to Shell for its Malikai tension leg platform (TLP) deepwater project in Sabah.

“The safe and successful start-up of Malikai in December 2016 is a high point for us.

“This highest engineering recognition honours the many engineers and workers within the Malikai project team from Shell, partners, contractors and subcontractors who have shown remarkable creativity, resilience and the greatest level of professionalism in delivering this historic project,” said Malikai project manager Momas Modon as he received the award during the recent 58th IEM annual dinner and awards night.

Happy Labour Day / Selamat Hari Pekerja

Happy Labour's Day

The solution to overcome the problem of rising cost of living, reduce unemployment among young people, defending the rights of contract-based workers, and help Malaysians working abroad should be a priority.

Maybe it requires a political reform.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selamat Hari Pekerja

Penyelesaian untuk mengatasi masalah peningkatan kos sara hidup, mengurangkan pengangguran di kalangan anak muda, mempertahan hak pekerja sambilan/kontrak, dan membantu rakyat Malaysia yang bekerja di luar negeri harus menjadi keutamaan.

Mungkin ianya memerlukan perubahan melalui kuasa politik.

PetroVietnam and foreign partners to build $1.27bn gas pipeline

Vietnamese government has awarded a licence to state-owned Petrovietnam and its foreign partners to invest $1.27bn in a gas pipeline in southern Vietnam, the country’s foreign investment agency (FIA) said in a report published April 26.

The Block B-O Mon project pipeline will be built in Kien Giang province. The licence was granted April 20 to a joint venture between PV Gas, a subsidiary of Petrovietnam, and “a Japanese investor”, FIA said.

Petrovietnam's website listed the pipeline project partners as itself, subsidiary PV Gas, Japan's Mitsui Oil Exploration and Thai PTTEP. The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2Q 2020. The pipelines have total length of 431km with design capacity of 20.3mn m3/d (7.4bn m3/yr). It will supply gas to power plants in Kien Giang and Can Tho provinces.

Galoc project worker killed in Labuan

An accident has claimed the life of a worker during supply operations related to the drilling of the Galoc-7 appraisal well in the Philippines.

The accident occured on Saturday 22 April 2017 in Labuan, Malaysia.

A contractor of Tiger Oilfield Services was killed while carrying out support vessel tank cleaning operations, reported Nido Petroleum, the Galoc field operator.

"The Malaysian police have been notified of the accident and Nido will co-operate fully with any official investigations. Nido will also undertake a comprehensive internal investigation. Our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased," said the operator.

Sumatec to increase output at thier West Kazakhstan plant

Sumatec Resources Bhd has announced plans to ramp up oil production at the Rakushechnoye oil and gas field in West Kazakhstan as its external auditor warns of a possible risk that the company may not be able to sustain its operations.

The oil and gas operator said that under its instruction, the field’s concession owner CaspiOilGas LLP (COG) had conducted a formal open tender exercise for the development of the oilfield.

Under the joint investment agreement signed in March 2012, Sumatec is entitled to 100% of the profit for the first two million barrels while from the third year onwards, the profit will be split 50:50 between Sumatec and COG.

COG is a unit of Markmore Energy (Labuan) Ltd (MELL), which Sumatec is also in the process of acquiring from Tan Sri Halim Saad (via his 99.9%-owned Markmore Sdn Bhd) for US$205mil (RM890mil). Sumatec signed a heads of agreement on the proposed purchase in the middle of last year.

TechnipFMC confirms Liza field development contract for ExxonMobil

TechnipFMC has landed a contract for the engineering, manufacturing and delivery of subsea equipment for ExxonMobil's proposed Liza field development off Guyana.

The company said in a statement that it would be handling orders for "17 total enhanced vertical deep-water trees and associated tooling, as well as five manifolds and associated controls and tie-in equipment."

"We value our long-term, collaborative relationship with ExxonMobil and we are committed to execution excellence and the successful long-term development of the project in Guyana," Hallvard Hasselknipe, president of subsea projects at TechnipFMC, said in a statements.

Upstream had previously reported TechnipFMC to be in the lead for the subsea production systems (SPS) portion of the equipment.

Malaysian FPSO company wins contract from Talisman Vietnam

Oil and gas services provider Yinson Holdings Bhd has been awarded a RM4.4bil Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) contract from Talisman Vietnam BV.

The 10-year contract is for the supply, operation and maintenance of a FPSO for Ca Rong Do field development, offshore Vietnam, with five yearly extensions options exercisable by Talisman Vietnam.

The estimated total aggregate value of the bareboat charter is US$1bil (RM4.4bil) for the entire 15-year charter, inclusive of five-yearly extension options.

Talisman Vietnam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of global integrated oil company Repsol S.A, which is listed on the Madrid stock exchange, and the operator of the Ca Rong Do field.

Brooke Dockyard benefits from Bokor

Sarawak-based oil and gas fabricator Brooke Dockyard and Engineering has been awarded a significant contract to build wellhead platforms for the Bokor phase three re-development project. .

Brooke will provide front-end engineering and design services plus the engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning of three wellhead platforms, said project operator Petronas.

The three wellhead platforms will be installed at the Bokor field, about 45 kilometres north-west of Lutong, Miri.

The project is part of the Baram Delta Enhanced Oil Recovery production sharing contract owned jointly by operator Petronas on behalf of joint venture partner Shell.