Friday 26 March 2010

Danger Zone – Gwen Stefani (2004)

The seas off the coast of Somalia very rarely remain silent for any extended period of time. The latest example of the anarchy on the high seas involves a pirate attack on a merchant ship that left one pirate dead and six others arrested. This is just a small victory in an otherwise large and uncontrollable war on the water. This case is of particular interest because it is the first confirmed kill by a hired guard on board a ship. Many ships have been turning to third party protection because naval assistant has become spread thin as the brazen pirates move father out to sea.

Several organizations and experts have expressed concern that these “hired guns” may only encourage pirates to become more violent. Therefore, they suggest this may inadvertently escalate the already dangerous situation off the coast of Africa. Take into account potential legal ramifications that arise with the state or the vessel’s insurance and you’re faced with a perplexing dilemma. Indeed there are countless political, legal and humanitarian facets to this otherwise barbaric issue.

What are your thoughts on this story and the overall issue?

If you find yourself interested to learn more or consider yourself a party with a stake in this piracy concern I recommend you visit http://energyterrorism.com/.

Energy Terrorism Conference: Countering Threats to Physical Assets and Human Capital
29-30 June 2010 – CBI Center in London, UK
http://energyterrorism.com/

Wednesday 17 March 2010

March Madness – Canaries & Cobble Hill Chorus (2001)

In just hours the first round of March Madness will tip off across the United States. For those of you unfamiliar, March Madness is a single elimination basketball tournament played between the top 64 universities in the United States. Its popularity is only rivaled by that of the Super Bowl and could arguably surpass it. These 64 teams come from all parts of the country with players who represent all nations of the world. As student athletes they play not for money and endorsements but for pride and love of the game. These are surely qualities that anyone can appreciate.

With so much at stake, you might find it surprising that every team relies on one single factor for success. Each team must call upon their training to guide them to victory. The only aspect that separates them is which team did the most quality training. That team will survive March Madness and play into April to become the National Champion.

The corporate world is quite similar though the motivating factors differ there is still sense of pride and desire to succeed. The never ending competition in the energy industry brings an even greater reward for success.

So I ask you, has your team done the most quality energy training possible?

Upcoming Energy Training Worldwide:

Business Analysis and Project Finance

Trading, Derivatives, Hedging and Risk Management

Oil Industry

Natural Gas Industry

Power Industry

Take it from Thomas J. Peters, bestselling author on business management practices, “Train everyone lavishly, you can't overspend on training.”

Friday 12 March 2010

Ever Present Past – Paul McCartney (2007)

According to Forbes Magazine, Occidental is out to disprove the widespread thought that the days of “easy oil” have passed by the U.S. With their industry peers moving towards endeavors of all sorts, offshore, LNG and Canadian oil sands, Oxy is sticking to their proverbial guns. Simply put by Oxy’s President Steven Chazen, “We’re in the oil recovery business, not in the oil discovery business.” This theory led them to an oil find of an estimated 1 billion barrels in California last year. The irony of this, what some are calling a “game-changer” find, is that it is situated over a 100 year old field. The executives of Occidental believe that the best place to find new oil is in old oil fields. In this particular case they are clearly enjoying the fruits of their business model.

Do you believe this theory can stand the test of time or are finds like this too rare to sustain a company and industry?

Read the complete Forbes Magazine article:
Occidental Petroleum’s Path to Easy Oil by Christopher Helman


Upcoming Oil Trading Workshops Worldwide:

International Oil Trading and Pricing
22 - 26 Mar 2010 in Oxford, UK

Overview of Physical Crude Oil Trading and Operations
22 - 23 Mar 2010 in Calgary, AB

Oil Trading Orientation

12 - 14 Apr 2010 in Houston, TX

Principles of International Oil Trading
14 - 17 Apr 2010 in Singapore

“Look to the past for guidance into the future.” - Robert Jacob Goodkin

Thursday 11 March 2010

Unsolved Mystery - Twista (1997)


According to the MarEx Newsletter, last Friday, Somali pirates took over UBT Ocean, a Norwegian chemical tanker off the coast of Madagascar. There was a crew of 21 aboard. It was enroute from Fujairah, UAE to Dar es Salaan, Tanzania. Unfortunately, there has been no contact between Nautictank, the ship's operator, and the ship itself since and hence, the security of the crew and cargo remains in question.

This unfortunate headline continues to place a spotlight on the need to counter such terrorst acts which will be addressed at our forthcoming Energy Terrorism Conference: Countering Threats to Physical Assets and Human Capital on 29-30 June 2010 at the CBI Centre in London.

Saturday 6 March 2010

Danger - Idle Eyes (1985)


My daily alert from TradeWinds yesterday came across as:

PIRATES NABBED
Spate of attacks on vessels in Somali Basin leads to arrest of 11 suspected pirate by French Navy. Eleven suspected pirates have been collared by the French Navy as at least three vessels came under attack in the Indian Ocean in the past day.


This headline highlights the persisting high seas danger faced by shippers and precisely why our forthcoming Energy Terrorism Conference at the CBI Centre in London on 29-30 June 2010 is a must-attend for those engaged in countering such threats to their assets, both physical and human.

The updated agenda and featured speakers list is now available on www.energyterrorism.com.

Join us this June in London.

Friday 5 March 2010

Any Day Now – Elvis Presley (1969)

At the annual Subsea Tieback Forum in Galveston, TX over 50 UK companies were exhibiting their products or services. These companies, with their international experience and knowledge, hope to expand their presence in the Gulf of Mexico’s subsea market. All of this interest comes on the back of the confidence and positive outlook the industry exudes.

Were you in attendance at this forum and if so do you care to share your experience?

In order to further crack this market UK companies will need to turn to timely energy training to fully understand the market intricacies. This is especially true when considering several of these players would be considered industry service companies. They will undoubtedly make their mark in the Gulf of Mexico but will it be sooner or later? If you are in competition with these companies I recommend being proactive rather than responsive. In other words, train now to stay ahead of the field.

2010 Global Energy Training Schedule

Take the advice of the late Peter Drucker, most famous for his scholarly articles on business management, “Today knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement.”