Shale gas exploration acreages to be available from next year

The Directorate General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) today said that shale gas exploration acreages in the country will be available from next year. 

At present, the Ministry of Petroleum is working on a shale gas regime to find out the most suitable one for the country. 

"We are expecting that by next year shale gas exploration acreages will be given. Currently, we are also working to find out a better shale gas regime. This shale gas regime will be a win-win situation for all," DGH's Director General Sunil Kumar Srivastava told reporters here. 

Areas such as Cambay basin, Krishna-Godavari basin and Assam-Arakan basin are considered as most prospective areas for shale gas exploration, he said. 

However, Srivastava said that given the variability of shale across India, a rapid pace of source development would probably come only after successful explorations in the initial basins. 

The government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US on shale gas, where the US Geological Survey (USGS) is likely to do a resource assessment of certain shale basins in India, he said. 

Besides, the Government plans to move to the open acreage licensing policy (OALP) regime by 2012, he said adding the OALP will make India a favourable destination globally for exploration and production of crude and natural gas. 

This will enable upstream companies to bid for any oil and gas block without waiting for the announcement of bidding under new exploration licensing policy (NELP) regime. 

Commenting on ninth round of new exploration licensing policy (NELP), Srivastava said, "NELP-IX will be formally launched in September, followed by road show." 

The production from Reliance Industries' KG Basin block is on track and producing as much as they committed

Source: Economic Times

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Winter 2010-2011. The Countdown Has Begun.

Season Passes now on sale at mountaincreek.com

Alps - Summits & Skills

Well, I'm busy sorting gear for next week in Chamonix courtesy of Icicle Mountaineering on their 4000m Summits & Skills course.  I'd hoped to do the Alpine Autonomy course but the timings didn't work for me though apparently there are only another two people on the course with me so the guide ratio will be 1:3 rather than the usual 1:6.  I'm looking forward to putting my recent climbing course into good use and gain some experience in an alpine environment.

It will be my first time back to Chamonix since 2005 when I was helicoptered off the mountain to hospital with concussion after a snow-boarding fall (I've gone for the BMC insurance this time!). Sod's law has tried its best as I've been feeling rough all week and strained a muscle in my groin last week but popping antibiotics and echinacea seems to have helped, together with judicious use of Deep Heat (just be careful where you get it!).  

I'll need to scoot into London tomorrow to pick up some last minute gear.  Wanting to make the best of the photo opportunities but not wanting to lug my Canon dSLR around, and after a long trawl of internet reviews and lots or ringing around I managed to order a new Panansonic LX5, which arrived in stock only today.  With a great lens, which opens to 24mm at the wide-end, it's a successor to the LX3 which Martin,  PTC and others have used to such tremendous effect.  Just praying that it actually arrives tomorrow morning as I'm flying first thing Sunday.  Hopefully I'll have plenty of pic's and tales to share on my return.

First Trad Climb

A tortuous 5 hr journey had me arriving in moody Ogwen Valley replete with a shrouded Tryfan occasionally offering a glimpse of it's teeth. A steady stream of showers had punctuated the journey, the next one arriving just as I pitched the Laser Comp. There's something splendidly raw about Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite - the spartan facilities keep the crowds at bay yet the location, exposed beneath the foot of Tryfan with views to the Ogwen Valley and the southern Carneddau, could hardly be bettered.

I'd met Janet and get husband earlier in the year at the Tyn y Coed pub in Capel Curig. She is working toward her Mountain Instructor qualification and she kindly offered some rock-climbing instruction with me the mock (or real) client. After bumping into her again a month later I was reminded of the offer and the date was set. The only variable being the notoriously wet north Wales summer.

We met at the campsite, and accompanied by her friend Sue, we headed for Milestone Buttress on the north-west side of Tryfan.  First off we were at the foot of the Pulpit route, a Diff climb, and after an initial briefing we were quickly climbing the first short crack, my feet nervously stabbing at the polished rock.  Whether it was nerves or the sheer concentration of trying to take everything in.. the gear, it's placement, the climbing calls, tying-in to anchors, setting anchors, I'm not sure but I can't actually remember much about the route, except it was relatively undemanding, with big safe ledges for belaying.   One thing I'd noticed was me not having enough confidence in my feet, over-compensating with arm strength, apparently a typical trait of blokes.   Watching Janet was more akin to seeing a ballet dancer with her delicate yet precise foot movement and placement.

At the top of the route we abseiled down a gully and then descended to the foot of the buttress for lunch and then an ascent of the Rowan route, another Diff, followed by an other abseil.   We'd been lucky with the weather, which whilst ever threatening only delivered a few spots of rain all day.

 

On Sunday, not trusting the weather in the valley, we headed further south to the Moelwyns, just past Tan y Grisiau and a step up in grade.  The fist route, Chic, was a V.Diff and very different it was too.  Compared to the  polished rock of Tryfan the rock was sharper and grippier, revealing small hand-holds just when you least expected.  Today I was beginning to get involved more in helping to set up anchors and a bit of gear placement.  Next up was Slack, another step up at Severe.  This was a great route, the highlights being climbing up onto the top of a narrow 12-ft high flake and having to step across a 3-foot void onto a vertical wall which needed climbing, then further up there was a long traverse above a steep drop - climbing up seems so much less-unnerving than traversing when you just can't help sense the space below. Slack was definitely my favourite route of the weekend.

My brain was bursting with the technicality of the rope and gear management, but the actual process is actually very logical. Not once did I feel unsafe and the height and exposure never bothered me. I was of course in safe hands and with her week long MI assessment at the end of the month, a weekend  teaching a novice hvaluable invaluable practice for her too.

I really enjoyed the weekend and the relaxed company made it so much easier. And so another little string to my mountain-craft bow had been added but i'm under no illusion that there's a great deal more to learn, but I'm keen to do some more outdoor trad-climbing soon.

Reliance Industries: Buy

Despite its June quarter results being in line with expectations, the stock of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India's largest private sector company, saw no respite from its weak run. The markets seem to be have been spooked by the temporary cap on gas output from the KG-D6 basin. This, combined with concerns over overcapacity in the petrochemicals business has resulted in RIL's lacklustre run at the bourses.

However, the concerns may be overdone. There has been a string of positive recent events — the shale gas interest acquisitions in North America, continuing hydrocarbon discoveries and a favourable outcome in the protracted gas supply dispute with RNRL (which has paved the way for RIL's diversification into telecom and power).

Also, the company continues to be a veritable cash generating machine (FY10 operating cash flows of around Rs 20,500 crore) giving it the ability to muscle into any sector it chooses. Characteristically aggressive expansion plans hold the potential to propel growth.

RIL, which has underperformed the market for quite some time now, presents an attractive buying opportunity for investors with a long-term perspective. At the current market price of Rs 1,000, the stock discounts its trailing twelve months earnings by around 19 times, lower than the Sensex multiple of 22.

Entrenched position

Over the last fiscal, RIL has strengthened its formidable position in the energy business, thanks to the KG-D6 production, and the new refinery in Jamnagar.The oil and gas segment grew significantly with the KG wells ramping up gas production to around 60 mmscmd. This segment which generates the highest margins (in excess of 40 per cent), now accounts for almost 32 per cent of operating profits. The company's recent decision to cap gas production due to technical reasons and commence ramp-up to around 80 mmscmd only after two-to-four quarters is a short-term negative. Nevertheless, the long-term growth story looks intact.

RIL has enjoyed a traditional advantage in refining, its biggest revenue contributor (in excess of 70 per cent), with its high complexity refineries enabling processing of cheaper, heavier crude to earn superior gross refining margins (GRMs). With Reliance Petroleum's new SEZ refinery coming into its fold, RIL's capacity has almost doubled to around 1.24 mbpd. The segment reported low operating margins (4 per cent) in the June 2010 quarter. However, with GRMs expected to improve from last fiscal's lows, thanks to improving demand and widening differential between light crude and heavy crude, RIL could benefit.

The petrochemicals segment (accounting for around 20 per cent of revenues and 34 per cent of operating profits) is facing pressures due to overcapacity in the global market. However, feedstock synergies (in-house naphtha from the refining segment) and strong domestic demand outlook hedges the company to some extent. RIL is among the largest players globally in petrochemicals and has announced massive expansion plans in the segment. This could benefit the company significantly when the cycle turns.

Big-ticket expansion

The last quarter has seen RIL acquire stakes in significant shale gas acreages in North America. These ventures — with Atlas Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, and Carrizo Oil and Gas — broaden RIL's upstream interests at a global level, and reduce the impact of cyclicality on the business. Shale gas is touted to be a game-changer in the natural gas business.

A key qualitative benefit for RIL is the access to technology, which may prove quite valuable in other potential markets. India plans to award shale-gas blocks by August 2011, by which time RIL's North American foray would have given it a formidable head-start.

Post the redrawing of the non-compete agreement with ADAG, RIL has re-entered the telecom sector by acquiring Infotel Broadband, the sole nationwide player in broadband wireless. The company has also announced ambitious plans in the power sector, and to scale up its retail business significantly. Besides, it is said to be in talks to acquire BP's fuel marketing assets in Africa. Reports also indicate a possible re-entry into fuel price retailing in India. Recent discoveries in the Cambay basin bode well. The company has also initiated steps to develop satellite fields on the East Coast and its other blocks in the country.

RIL's mammoth cash flows give rise to a problem of plenty. Favourable leverage ratios (net gearing of 24.2 per cent), huge cash balance (Rs 26,407 crore) and a formidable war chest in the form of treasury shares ensure that cash is not a constraint for expansion plans. While most of these projects are long-gestation in nature, they have the potential to catapult the company to the next growth cycle.

Financial performance

In FY 2010, high volumes in oil and gas, and refining saw the company grow consolidated net revenue by around 35 per cent to Rs 2,03,740 crore. However, a weak pricing environment resulted in profits growing at only around 4 per cent to Rs 15,898 crore and margins declining. GRMs declined sharply from $12.2 a barrel in FY 2009 to $6.6.

For the latest quarter, net revenue and profits at Rs 58,228 crore and Rs 4,851 crore respectively, were up 87 per cent and 32 per cent y-o-y driven by oil and gas, and refining segments. Margins however declined due to higher proportion of gas to oil, and higher depreciation costs. GRMs at $7.3 a barrel were down sequentially ($7.5) but higher than the year ago figure ($6.8). The performance was still good, given that the benchmark Singapore GRM had registered a steeper fall from the previous quarter. Return on equity is healthy at around 12 per cent.

Going forward, though growth may moderate in the near to medium term given the high base effect, expansion initiatives should see the company reporting strong numbers.

Risks

Sluggishness in demand due to uncertainties in the global economy could drag the company's performance, especially in the petrochemicals business. An unfavourable outcome in the ongoing gas supply dispute with NTPC will weigh negatively on the company.

Source: Hindu Business Line

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RIL to buy 3rd shale gas asset for $392 mn

Reliance Industries (RIL) has agreed to buy 60% stake in the Marcellus shale acreage in the US for $392 million, or around `1,810 crore, its third investment in four months in the promising new energy resource. 

RIL, India’s biggest company by market value, will immediately pay $340 million for the acquisition of the shale gas acreage in central and north-east Pennsylvania that is equally owned by Carrizo and its partner ACP II Marcellus, an affiliate of private equity firm Avista Capital Partners. It will pay $52 million more to cover part of the drilling costs in two years, the company said in a media statement. 

Carrizo will hold 40% of the gas acreage after the transaction is over, which is likely to happen by mid-September. The acquisition will provide RIL access to 104,400 acres of underdeveloped land with estimated net resources of 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas. 

Houston-based Carrizo will be the so-called development operator of the venture, which means it gets to extract the gas. But RIL has the option to act as a development operator in some regions over the lifetime of the agreement, the statement added. 

The RIL stock closed flat at `1,006.95 in a weak Mumbai market. 

“Reliance will pay $6,258 an acre for the Carrizo deal, which will, in turn, add value of `8.3 a share,” said Deven Choksey, managing director of KR Choksey Securities. “The price paid by RIL for this deal is in line with the cost of other two (shale gas) acquisitions.” 

This is the cheapest of the three assets RIL has bought so far. 

In April, it had acquired a 40% stake in Atlas Energy's Marcellus share acreage in the US, gaining access to approximately 343,000 acres of undeveloped land with estimated gross resources of over 13 trillion cubic feet of gas. It paid $1.7 billion for this. In June, RIL bought a 45% stake in Pioneer Natural Resources for $1.15 billion, gaining access to 210,000 acres of land."We will continue to pursue such joint development opportunities with the best operators as well as on our own to build a substantial upstream business in North America," RIL chairman and India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, had told shareholders at the company's annual general meeting in June. 

RIL, which owns the world's biggest refinery complex and India's largest gas field in the KG basin, has cash and cash equivalent of more than $6 billion. Its projected annual cash flow is pegged at $7-8 billion. Jefferies & Co was the financial advisor while BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank was the strategic advisor to RIL. 

Shale gas is extracted from a common rock formation found in most parts of the world. The emergence of new drilling technologies has made the extraction of gas viable and has led to sudden an increase in the production of shale gas in the US, forcing gas prices to drop in that country. 

Led by ExxonMobil, which bought shale gas specialist XTO for $41 billion in December last year, big energy companies such as BP and Total are entering the shale gas business.

Source: Economic Times

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Govt to provide Rs 14,000 cr to oil companies as subsidies

The government will give Rs 14,000 crore in cash to Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum to make up for the losses incurred on selling fuel below cost in the first quarter of 2010-11 fiscal. 

The Finance Ministry today sought parliamentary approval for additional spending of Rs 68,294.30 crore that included Rs 14,000 crore "for providing compensation to oil marketing companies towards estimated under-recoveries on account of sale of petroleum products." 

Retailers IOC, BPCL and HPCL lost about Rs 20,275 crore on selling petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene below cost in the first quarter of this fiscal. Of these, losses of upstream firms like Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), made up for one-third or Rs 6,690.68 crore. 

The Finance Ministry will meet the rest by way of cash dole-outs after Parliament passes supplementary demands for grants. 

IOC, BPCL and HPCL had reported net losses in April-June quarter as the government support for selling fuel below cost did not come before accounts for the quarter were closed. 

In Q1, ONGC paid Rs 5,515.54 crore towards fuel subsidies, Oil India Rs 729.66 crore and GAIL Rs 445.48 crore. 

ONGC, state gas utility GAIL and OIL give discounts to the three retailers on the crude oil and LPG they buy to partly make up for the losses. 

For the full fiscal, IOC, BPCL and HPCL are projected to lose less than Rs 57,000 crore. 

The government freed petrol prices last month on June 25 and there will be no under-recovery on this motor fuel in the remaining part of the year. The three retailers currently sell diesel at a loss of Rs 2.76 a litre, kerosene at a discount of Rs 15.41 per litre and domestic LPG at a loss of Rs 170.57 per cylinder. 

The Union government paid about Rs 26,000 crore in fuel subsidies in the 2009-10 fiscal.

Source: Economic Times

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Work It Out Trailer

Meathead Films came through last spring and got some banger shots on Canyon (yeah, we said Canyon), the quarterpipe and other random spots throughout the park. Some are saying it ranks among the best trailers this season.

From record-breaking 5 foot blizzards in Washington DC to 10 inches of rain in New England, Meathead Films spent the winter of 2010 scouring the East Coast on the hunt for epic days. No matter the weather, the crew was forced to roll with the punches and just work it out. Tag along as their relentless search takes them to the craggy White Mountains backcountry, back alleys of Maine, custom park jumps in New Jersey, and even to the “Far East” of Hokkaido, Japan on their first ever overseas voyage. Filmed in High Definition, 16mm and Super 8mm film, Work It Out showcases the spirit, creativity, and unwavering determination it takes to be an Eastern skier.
- Work It Out, Meathead Films

GAIL first quarter net rises to Rs. 886 cr

GAIL (India) on Monday reported a 35 per cent jump in net profit in the first quarter ended June 30, 2010, despite a near five-fold jump in fuel subsidy outgo. The company said that it would raise Rs. 500 crore through a maiden bonds issue in January next. Net profit rose 35.2 per cent to Rs. 886.80 crore in the April-June quarter from Rs. 655.80 crore in the same period a year-ago, GAIL Chairman and Managing Director B. C. Tripathi told reporters here.

The company's turnover rose to Rs. 7,163.50 crore from Rs. 6,119 crore. The increase was due to the government's move to more than double the APM gas price to $4.2 per mBtu (million British thermal unit) from $1.79 per mBtu and allow GAIL to charge a marketing margin of Rs. 200 per thousand cubic metres. The jump in net income was despite GAIL having to dole out Rs. 445 crore towards subsidies on petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene as against Rs. 75 crore.

Mr. Tripathi said the GAIL board on Monday approved borrowing of Rs. 1,250 crore from HDFC and raising another $150 million through the external commercial borrowing (ECB) route in December this year. The ECB would be the first tranche of $500 million the company planned to raise for funding its pipeline and expansion of its petrochemical project, he said. Mr. Tripathi said the company was doubling capacity of its petrochemical plant at Pata in Uttar Pradesh to 9 lakh tonnes at an investment of Rs. 8,200 crore.

JV with RIL put on back-burner

The company has put on the back-burner plans to set up a mega petrochemical plant overseas in a joint venture with Reliance Industries and has instead decided to invest Rs. 8,200 crore on doubling the capacity of its chemical unit in Uttar Pradesh. The expansion will take 42 months to complete, but GAIL would endeavour to commission the unit in 36 months, he said.

RIL and GAIL had on December 4, 2007, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly set up a mega gas-based petrochemical plant.

Source: Hindu Business Line

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New Heights!

My parents and sister booked a microlight flight as a Xmas present that I never quite got round to arranging until last weekend when ,after much pressure and the pending expiry of the gift voucher, we descended on Rufforth Airfield near York, courtesy of Airsports Training.

Surprisingly, I didn't seem to have time to be nervous as after a quick briefing and safety check we were taxiing along the run-way.  I wasn't quite prepared for take off which was a) fast and b) quick and steep - we were airborne before I knew it and climbing quickly by which time I was conscious there was not much keeping me in and nothing to hang on to!   It was a lovely clear afternoon and so the view across to the dales in the west and the moors to the north and the various power stations to the south.  I'd worn my Sunnto Core watch so I could keep an eye on the altitude and we quickly ascended to around 1,000 ft and a cruising speed of 65-70mph.

I was surprised by the buffeting from the wind which is consistent of sticking your head out the window of a car doing 70mph - obvious really, though the air was pretty calm apart from the odd small gust which had a noticable effect.  We headed towards Wetherby and followed the A1 north to Boroughbridge - strange how even having the freedom of the skies pilots use roads as an obvious navigational aid.   After about 30 mins I have to admit I started to feel a little queasy with the constant moving.  I concentrated on the horizon till I was invited to take-control and actually fly (well, I guess it could be better described as steering).  The control are rather straightforward - shift forward to go up, back to descend and left/right as you'd expect.  Letting go of the control-bar allows the plane to settle into a stable neutral position - quite comforting!

We headed back towards York giving great views of the Minster and the race-course before following the River Ouse for a while.  Looking down I was surprised how many swimming pools there are in York - it's not that warm up there!  We headed back to the airfield and as we approached the descent was a bit steeper than I expected but after a perfect landing (thanks to the pilot not me) we were back on terra-firma.....where feet are designed to be!  It was a great idea as a present and good fun but I'm not sure I've found a new hobby, but I'd recommend having a go at least once.

PS.  I was chatting to a guy at work who confessed that he actually developed a fear of flying after a microlight flight.  He had done it a few times before but on one trip, after a gust of wind, he freaked and has forever since been scared of flying, even in passenger jets!