Back to Chicago - Styx (1990)

It has be awhile since we last ran courses in the Windy City. Chicago is hot for many a reason these days and we think it is high-time that we returned.

This time we are partnering with the fine folks behind LDC Gas Forums who are holding their mid-continent conference September 14-16, 2009 at the Hyatt. After you attend their conference, you can ensure your edge in the industry by attending one or both of our bestseller natural gas courses:

Overview of the North American Natural Gas Industry
Thursday, September 17th

Natural Gas Transportation and Storage
Friday, September 18th.

Get your fill of what's new in the U.S. Natural Gas Market the entire week!

Let It Grow - Eric Clapton (1974)

On Tuesday, U.S. President Obama signed a directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group while also announcing that additional funds from the federal stimulus bill would be going to biofuel-related projects, all in an effort to help the U.S. biofuel industry continue to develop in the coming years.

You can read more here.

If you would like to brush up on biofuels fundamentals and the ethanol market in particular, check out our new web-based course on the Overview of the Ethanol Market.

Found a Job - Talking Heads (1978)

For many graduates these next few months mark the close of academic chapters and the opening of corporate ones at brand new spanking jobs (and that's despite the economy).

The energy sector is sure to have its share of hires who will need to get up to speed (and that's certainly the case in times like these) on the skills and knowledge base needed to be effective employees. Training programs are on the forefront of HR and T&D (training and development) Managers' agendas.

The Oxford Princeton Programme prides itself as being the preferred provider for introductory coursework whether it is in oil, natural gas, power or derivatives and commodity trading.

Share your entering workforce's profile with us and what will be expected of them and we'll prescribe a customized program all your company's own.

On A Little Street in Singapore - Frank Sinatra (1944)

...will you not only find our Asia-Pacific regional headquarters but venues for several courses arriving these coming months. And to entice you regsiter for them, we have a one-week only (April 20 - 24) Singapore Summer Training Sale which offers a 20% discount on all public courses running in June, July and August, 2009.

Choose from any of these today and save:

LPG Trading and Pricing - Shipping, Contracts and Price Risk Management
17 - 19 Jun 2009

Fundamentals of Technical Analysis
17 - 18 Jun 2009

Advanced Technical Analysis and Technical Trading
19 June 2009

Aviation Fuels: Supply, Trading and Risk Management
20 - 22 Jul 2009

Energy Value Chain Asia-Pacific - The Fundamentals of Oil, Gas, Coal and Power
23 - 24 Jul 2009

Total Risk Management in the International Oil and Derivatives Market
11 - 14 Aug 2009

The Synergies of Refining, Trading and Supply
17 - 20 Aug 2009

Tiny Bubbles – Don Ho (1966)

The Oil & Gas Journal is reporting that research in nanotechnology could make a “not-so-nano” difference in the recovery of the oil and gas sectors. Supposedly, nanosensors have the potential to assess rock and fluid properties from inside the pore spaces of reservoirs albeit 5-10 years down the road.

Read on to learn more as well as how others are assessing the pace of recovery in the energy sector as a whole.

Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (1982)

How soon might the price of crude oil go back up to over $100? It may be a matter of understanding supply dynamics just as much, if not more so than demand ones in a downturn.

Some argue that once the global economy is back on track, perhaps in 2011, the barrel will again break the “century” barrier.

According to The Globe and Mail, OPEC’s response to curtail production which if maintained, will tighten supply by approximately 330 million barrels for 2009 and may raise the price by so much. But it is the non-OPEC countries like Canada that are postponing or curbing new oil sands and deepwater field projects which are not profitable at today’s prices. They would be more so at around the $70 mark so market forces will need to boost prices before any further investment takes place. This potential supply, or lack thereof, may factor in as well and in the end, getting to $100 might very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What do you think?

Old Atlantic Shore – Stompin’ Tom Connors (1970)

Photo: Kate Walsh

To drill or not to drill?

That was just one of many ongoing heated debates that took center stage yesterday in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the first of four federal hearings on offshore oil drilling along the outer continental shelf of the U.S. East Coast. It’s a tug of war between environmentalists who prefer renewable energy alternatives and oil producers. How far the government’s plan will sway one way or the other is, well, still up in the air.

With the need for employment atop any agenda, both sides tout job creation as the beneficial outcome. But can blue, white and green collar ones coexist? To find out more, read here.

Speaking of Atlantic City, we do have courses coming in August:

• Fundamentals of Energy Futures
  10 August 2009
  
  
• Options I - Fundamentals of Energy Options
  11 August 2009
  
  
• Energy Risk Management
  12-13 August 2009