Friday 29 January 2010

Time Is Now - Fever Tree (1969)

According to Mobil Cepu Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia, we can expect an increase of 25,000 barrels of oil a day from East Java. Banyuurip borders the Java Sea and is home to the Cepu Oilfield. ExxonMobil seems very confident in the prospects of this oil field as they are estimating 5,000 more barrels a day than the government’s target of 20,000. Exceeding the expectation of the intended production rate has come in response to buyer’s demands. If you are among the group of traders who will be moving this oil or have aspirations to be I encourage proper training. To fulfill your needs, look no farther than just northwest of Banyuurip to Singapore or Malaysia.

Upcoming Oil Trading Workshops in Asia Pacific

International Oil Trading - A Practical Approach to the Legal Issues for Successful Management of Claims and Disputes – 12-14 April 2010 in Singapore

Principles of International Oil Trading – 14-17 April 2010 in Singapore

International Oil Trading - Advanced Techniques and Strategic Price Risk Management – 19-21 April 2010 in Singapore

Energy Value Chain – 10-11 May 2010 in Kuala Lumpur

Oil Trading Orientation – 12-14 May 2010 Oil Trading Orientation in Kuala Lumpur

For the complete 2010 Asia Pacific schedule click here.

For the 2010 global schedule of over 250 courses click here.

Sunday 24 January 2010

Head On Collision - Hawk Nelson (2006)

You might be aware that over the weekend, an 800-foot (240-meter) oil tanker owned by AET Tankers of Malaysia collided with a towing vessel pushing two barges near Port Arthur, Texas.

While there is remains uncertainly as to how much oil spilled, it is believed to be a fraction of the 450,000 gallons (1.7 million literes) capacity and no where near the 11 million gallons (41.6 million litres) that spilled from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska's Prince William Sound back in 1989.

To read more click here.

A number of tanker operation training courses are scheduled to take pace in 2010:

Tanker Ownership, Chartering and Operations (TD2)

24-28 May 2010
Oxford, UK

Tanker Ownership, Chartering and Operations (TD2E)

10-12 May 2010
Houston, TX

13-15 October 2010
Singapore

Friday 22 January 2010

My Hometown - Bruce Springsteen (1985)

Usually the title of my blog post is a song title that is relevant to our topic. However on this day I have used my all time favorite song from The Boss. My hometown is Hillsborough, NJ but given the commodity demand in Asia I might prefer a hometown some 9,500 miles or 15,000 kilometers east.

According to French Bank Societe Generale the Asian market will sustain its demand for commodities. The article I picked up on EnergyAsia.com further explains Societe Generale’s findings. To summarize, they have found that government spending, favorable demographics and the rise of the middle-class are all essential for sustaining this demand. The surge of the Chinese car industry has further driven the commodity demand. In fact, in November 2009 China took over as the world’s largest vehicle market. These factors are no doubt the direct product of the fiscal stimulus plans put into action in response to the global economic downturn.

To read the complete article: http://www.energyasia.com/content/view/18509/1/

If you are thinking about or are actively engaging in this commodity hungry market I encourage proper training.

Upcoming Energy Training Workshops in Singapore

Energy Derivatives Markets, Instruments and Hedging – 8-9 March 2010
Energy Derivatives Pricing, Hedging and Risk Management – 10-11 March 2010

Front to Back Office: Trading Controls and Best Practices – 8 March 2010
Value-at-Risk: The Basics and Beyond – 9 March 2010

Fundamentals of Technical Analysis – 10-11 March 2010
Advanced Technical Analysis and Technical Trading – 12 March 2010

International Oil Trading - A Practical Approach to the Legal Issues for Successful Management of Claims and Disputes – 12-14 April 2010
Principles of International Oil Trading – 14-17 April 2010
International Oil Trading - Advanced Techniques and Strategic Price Risk Management – 19-21 April 2010

For the complete 2010 Asia Pacific schedule click here.

I always want to hear from our readers. Feel free to post any comments or questions below. Or maybe you just want to tell me your favorite song so I can use it in a future post.

Thursday 21 January 2010

Help Somebody - Van Zant (2005)

The devastation in Haiti has had a profound impact on the world and we are trying to do our part in bringing relief to its people.

The Oxford Princeton Programme will be holding charity days at our offices next week to raise cash to be donated to organizations engaged in recovery efforts. Events include a luncheon, bake sale as well as a raffle that employees contribute towards.

We encourage all our partners, clients and friends to come together to do their part in assisting those in much and urgent need. Any effort, big or small, can make a difference.

Here are a few organizations worth considering for your donations:

The American Red Cross
UNICEF

Any others we should be listing, please let us know.

Thank you.

Friday 15 January 2010

Winter Marches On - Duran Duran (1986)

Natural gas stores in Britain have been severely depleted in recent weeks due to unusually cold weather.

Gas use actually broke records this week: the 454 million cubic meters used on January 7 was the most since the same day in 2003, BBC reported. Gas consumption on Friday was projected to surpass even Thursday's figure.

Jeremy Bending, director of network strategy at electric utility National Grid, reassured Britons that there would not be a "lack of gas."

The Wall Street Journal noted that Britain's focus on reducing carbon emissions has left it with paltry fossil fuel stores. Even compared to carbon-conscious Germany - which has gas storage capacity equivalent to 19 percent of annual consumption - Britain's reserves are minimal: The nation has capacity equal to just 4 percent of consumption.

The gas-rich U.S., by contrast, has storage capacity equivalent to 100 percent of consumption.

European countries, unlike America, are import-dependent with regard to natural gas. The U.K. may need to import 70 percent of the gas it needs by 2015, the Journal reported. Germany, for its part, depends on natural gas for 23 percent of its energy use; most of its gas comes from Russia.

Breaking news brought to you by The Oxford Princeton Programme (www.oxfordprinceton.com)

Overview of the European Natural Gas Industry (ENG)
16 March 2010 in London, UK

Exploring European Natural Gas Markets (EEGM)
17-18 March 2010 in London, UK

Friday 8 January 2010

Easy Money - King Crimson (1973)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was in attendance this week at the opening of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline. This pipeline will transport up to 1.6 million barrels a day of oil from Russia to China. Putin also suggested that crude is more profitable than refined products. Take a look below at an excerpt from the article.

“Strange as it may seem, it is more profitable to sell crude oil," Putin said. He suggested that refined products require more manpower and equipment, adding that crude sells for a higher price on world markets.

For the full article click here.


Do you agree with Putin’s suggestion about the profitability of crude over refined products and what is your reasoning?


If you are unsure I encourage you to have a look at two upcoming courses covering crude oil trading and petroleum refining that can clear up any questions or misconceptions.

Overview of Physical Crude Oil Trading and Operations

12 - 13 Jan 2010 in London, UK
19 - 20 Jan 2010 in Singapore
25 - 26 Jan 2010 in Houston, TX
8 - 9 Feb 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fundamentals of Petroleum Refining - A Non-Technical Introduction

14 - 15 Jan 2010 in London, UK
27 - 28 Jan 2010 in Houston, TX
10 - 11 Feb 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Up & Down - Eyes of Blue (1966)

According to the January 11, 2010 issue of BusinessWeek, with crude futures running over $80 a barrel, and the dual impact of a stronger dollar and colder weather, forecasters are at odds as to where prices will be headed in 2010.

On the bullish end, a high of $94, due to dwindling inventories; on the bearish end, a $40 low thanks to saturation and a growing glut.

Which way do you see prices going in 2010?

And while you are at it, consider several of our oil trading and pricing courses held across all inhabitable continents throughout the year. They are designed for all levels of expertise in and out of commodity trading.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Everything's Gone Green - New Order (1981)

One man's garbage is his own gas?

This curious video report from CNN International has a Cairo-based resident renewing waste into energy for his home. He was even able to build his own solar panels. Talk about going green in an "easier said than done" kind of fashion.

Are you or your organization involved in renewables and have expertise to share as a subject matter expert? If so, we'd like to hear from you.

Sunday 3 January 2010

Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross (1980)


Greetings for a happy and prosperous 2010 from the Philippines where I am finishing up my holidays.

One of my trip's highlights has been to visit the Bangui Bay 15-tower wind farm in the Ilocos Norte Province near the northern tip of Luzon (yes, that's me up close and personal with the ginormous turbines).

It is the first wind power project in the Philippines and the largest energy-generating set in Southeast Asia. The turbines catch breezes blowing in from the South China Sea and convert it into a total of 24.75 megawatts of energy. To learn more about this project, read on.

It was an apt encounter to start the year with given the exciting directions we are taking at The Oxford Princeton Programme.

We shall be offering content that address the growing green and reneawables sectors such as in Energy Project Finance - A Practical Approach for Non-Finance Managers and a soon to be released web-based course (more details come February).

We'll indeed be riding like the wind in 2010 and we do hope you will join us as we continue to offer the most comprehensive menu of training titles available to professionals dedicated to the business of energy.

Stay tuned.