From Bernama – Malaysia, Brunei To Publish Book On Oil Industry

Someone please send an autographed copy or two my way. Thanks. From Bernama, dateline 2010-12-18:

Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam will jointly publish two coffee table books on the oil industry and the flora and fauna in Borneo in an effort to step up cooperation in the field of information.

The initiative, to be undertaken by Brunei Darussalam Information Department and the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA), will also involve photo exhibition to be held in both countries.

These were among the new programmes agreed during the 3rd meeting of the Malaysia-Brunei Darussalam Joint Technical Committee on Information which ended here Saturday.

Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the publication of the two books would promote both countries to the world as well as further enhance cooperation in the field of information.

“I believe the books will be easy to read. Beginning from history, for example, how oil was found in Brunei and in Miri, also is the uniqueness of the flora and fauna in Borneo,” he told reporters.

Kuala Belait

I had some business in Kuala Belait, Brunei (I trust the clients were satisfied). It was the fasting month, and I was inside an office the whole of daylight hours, so I didn’t have many photo opportunities. The following photos were taken at the the sungkai prepared by Riviera Cafe.

Sabah MP drills deep into oil blocks fiasco

The government said that the oil was never really ours in the first place. But, I guess the controversy will keep conspiracy theorists, opponents and ‘tell-all’ expose publishers in business. Anyone want to add more fuel to the fire?

From freemalaysiatoday,  dateline 2010-07-01:

KOTA KINABALU: Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui has called for a White Paper on the controversial ceding of three million acres of Sabah’s oil-rich maritime territory to Brunei.

She said Malaysians were confused and would like to know the truth behind the ceding of the two blocks, in light of the numerous statements made by various government representatives.

The statements, however, failed to answer the many lingering doubts over the move which is estimated to have caused Malaysia to lose about RM320 billion in oil and gas revenue.

“It is not just the loss of valuable oil and gas productions, but it is also the loss of Malaysian territorial waters for transportation, marine life and food resources,” said Chua.

“A White Paper on the matter would be in the interests of all Malaysians, especially to those in Sabah and Labuan.

“It is therefore with sincere intention that I propose to the Prime Minister’s Department to clarify all the doubts and ensure that the rights and interests of the people are always protected,” she added in her adjournment speech in Parliament recently.

And since we’re on the topic of conceding territory to ASEAN neighbours, here’s something from the same e-paper on Batu Puteh.

From Oil & Gas Journal – Brunei, Malaysia to share revenues from disputed oil blocks

Maybe I should have gone to the recent AOGC conference, and reported the events with my own slant on things. Can I get sponsorship for the next one, for the tune of USD1000?

And if Brunei owns oil blocks, why on earth would they share the revenue? Is Malaysia going to share the revenue of our oil blocks?

Dateline 2010-06-09, from Oil & Gas Journal:

Eric Watkins, OGJ Oil Diplomacy Editor

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman acknowledged that neighboring Brunei owns two formerly disputed oil blocks, but that Malaysia will have a share of revenue produced from them.

Aman said the revenue-sharing was made possible through a commercial arrangement agreed to in March by leaders of the two countries, but that the two sides are still discussing the ratio of the revenues to be shared.

“If we look strictly at the interpretation of the law based on [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] 1982, it clearly belongs to Brunei,” said Aman in response to a question by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar had asked Aman to state the validity of the decision of the federal government to hand over Blocks L and M to Brunei, and why the issue of sovereignty of territorial waters of that area was not referred to the Malaysian parliament.

Earlier this year, Murphy Oil Corp.’s interests in Blocks L and M off Malaysia were terminated after resolution of a dispute with Brunei over control of the assets.

That agreement ended a dispute that erupted in 2003 when Petronas and Murphy were awarded two offshore leases, SB L and SB M. The blocks overlapped with Brunei’s Blocks J and K, which had been awarded to Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (OGJ Online, Apr. 22, 2010).

Murphy Oil block interests off Malaysia terminated

Is this old news? I haven’t heard anyone, Murphy or otherwise, moaning about lost opportunities. Now, does PETRONAS have to pay them for the loss of opportunity and sunken costs to date? And will they pay damages to us small contractors? And will that cost be then transfered to the rakyat?

Taken from the Oil & Gas Journal, dateline 2010-04-22:

LOS ANGELES, Apr. 22 — Murphy Oil Corp.’s interests in Blocks L and M off Malaysia have been terminated after resolution of a dispute with Brunei over control of the assets.

Murphy was informed by state-owned PETORNAS that the two blocks are no longer a part of the country following an agreement between Malaysia and the Sultanate of Brunei.

Murphy said its potential participation in replacement production-sharing contracts (PSCs) covering these areas is “under discussion.”

The announcement follows recent reports that the two southeast Asian countries are trying to implement an agreement made in March 2009 to establish a commercial arrangement area.

That agreement ended a dispute that erupted in 2003 when PETRONAS and Murphy were awarded two offshore leases, SB L and SB M. The blocks overlapped with Brunei’s Blocks J and K, which had been awarded to Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC.

In a recent report, the Economist Intelligence Unit noted that Brunei and Malaysia are “inching closer towards resolving their border disputes.”

EIU noted in particular that “agreement on the land border could pave the way for a deal on the maritime border that would allow both countries to benefit from the discovery of new oil and gas deposits.”

The SOGE Story – Visit to Brunei

Synergy was invited to visit Brunei through a few aquaintances that we met. Since it was the first time to that country, I was snapping photos of anything that didn’t move.

From The Star – Brunei drops Limbang Claim

Dateline 2009-03-17 (story link here):

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei has officially dropped its long-standing claim over Sarawak’s Limbang district after the two countries resolved various land and maritime territory disputes.

“Brunei has decided to drop the Limbang issue and as a result, Limbang is part of Malaysian territory,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced to Malaysian media.

And why this decision is of interest to me:

The other disputes include over where the maritime boundary between the two countries in the South China Sea should run, the rights to exploit potentially rich oil deposits in the disputed maritime territory, the right of movement by Malaysian vessels over Brunei waters and the demarcation of the common boundary of the two countries.

Expect Miri to become busier.

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