By Moji Karimi
Here are some of the repeated discussion topics that seem to be common and specific to O&G.
Before I get to that, and as one of the general discussion points let me clarify the startup concept (my definition of it anyways) in contrast with a small business or consulting.
“Startup is a company based on a somewhat risky (unproven) idea that solves a pain-point in an innovative way. A startup should definitely have intellectual property and could be acquired in a relatively short amount of time”. Therefore, small “me too” businesses or consulting firms don’t fit here. Nothing wrong with those but they follow a different growth path and have unlike business models and priorities. By the short time I mean 7-10 years (for Tech startups that more like 3-5 years, O&G product/market fit takes longer for several reasons). Also have to mention, by O&G startup I’m not referring to a new E&P company (though that is also a very interesting concept. See UpCurve Energy as a good example).
For O&G folks who have lost their job it’s very tempting to immediately think about applying the same skill-set they have learnt to:
- provide somewhat the same service as bigger companies with a twist. Actually down market is the worst time to start a “me too” business. Same services take you to price war with bigger companies and you are certain to lose. Where you could shine is if you compete on “value” and have a clear differentiation.
- become a consultant. Even though this is a nice and quick way to make up for some of the lost income, it’s not a sustainable source and you are going against several other experts who are thinking about doing the same. You are also banking on a shrinking market.
Here are some ideas to consider before starting your business:
Initially the purpose of this post was for those who have lost their job recently; but some aspects also apply to the ones currently employed and want to have a plan B. Working full time and trying to develop an idea at nights and weekends has its own very interesting challenges.
At the end, starting a new venture isn’t easy, if it was everyone would be doing it. However, there is nothing more satisfying that controlling your own destiny.
*This article was first published on 4 February 2016 by Moji Karimi and is reprinted here with full permission.
**About the Writer:
Moji Karimi is an oil and gas entrepreneur who has helped ideate, develop, and commercialize technology for big companies such as Weatherford and has now begun focusing on startups. Currently, Karimi is the business development manager at Biota Technology, a startup that is commercializing DNA Sequencing in the oil and gas industry. He is also a cofounder of SPE Gulf Coast Section Entrepreneurship Cell which is an initiative to educate and connect entrepreneurs, decision makers, and investors. Karimi holds BS and MS degrees in drilling and petroleum engineering, respectively.
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It is important to know where to gun parts from. There are many places you can buy them from, but it is important to choose the right place so that you get the best quality and service. There are many places where you can buy gun parts from. You can buy them from gun stores, online retailers, and even at a flea market.
One of the best places to buy gun parts from is Always Armed.They have a wide range of products available, they offer great customer service, and they have convenient shipping options.
Buying gun parts can be a difficult task. There are many different types of firearms and there is a huge variety of gun parts. The right place to buy gun parts depends on what you are looking for and what kind of firearm you have.
If you are looking for a specific part, then your best bet is to search online. You can find the part that you need at an affordable price and it will be delivered right to your door. If you want to save time, then this is the best option for you. If not, then your local gun store might be the best option for you because they have many different types of firearms as well as all kinds of other equipment that might come in handy for hunting or shooting sports.
When it comes to buying gun parts, you need to be very careful. There are a lot of scams out there and some companies just want to take your money and never send you the goods.
Supply chains are currently in crisis. They have been for a long time now, ever since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped the way the world works. Stressed shipping networks and operational blockages – coupled with China’s insistence on a Covid-zero policy – means that cargo tanker rates are at an all-time high and that there just aren’t enough of them. McDonalds and KFCs in Asia are running out of French fries to sell, not because there aren’t enough potatoes in Idaho, but because there aren’t enough ships to deliver them to Japan or to Singapore from Los Angeles. The war in Ukraine has placed a particular emphasis on food supply chains by disrupting global wheat and sunflower oil supply chains and kicking off distressingly high levels of food price inflation across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It was against this backdrop that Indonesia announced a complete ban on palm oil exports. That nuclear option shocked the markets, set off a potential new supply chain crisis and has particular implications on future of crude oil pricing and biofuels in Asia.
A brief recap. Like most of Asia, Indonesia has been grappling with food price inflation as consequence of Covid-19. Like most of Asia, Indonesia has been attempting to control this through a combination of shielding its most vulnerable citizens through continued subsidies while attempting to optimise supply chains. Like most of Asia, Indonesia hasn’t been to control the market at all, because uncoordinated attempts across a wide spectrum of countries to achieve a similar level of individual protectionism is self-defeating.
Cooking oil is a major product of sensitive importance in Indonesia, and one that it is self-sufficient in as a result of its status as the world’s largest palm oil producer. So large is Indonesia in that regard that its excess palm oil production has been directed to increasingly higher biodiesel mandates, with a B40 mandate – diesel containing 40% of palm material – originally schedule for full implementation this year. But as palm oil prices started rising to all-time highs at the beginning of January, cooking oil started becoming scarcer in Indonesia. The government blamed hoarding and – wary of the Ramadan period and domestic unrest – implemented a Domestic Market Obligation on palm oil refineries, directing them to devote 20% of projected exports for domestic use. Increasingly stricter terms for the DMO continued over February and March, only for an abrupt U-turn in mid-March that removed the DMO completely. But as the war in Ukraine drove prices even further, Indonesia shocked the market by announcing an total ban on palm oil exports in late April. Chaotically, the ban was first clarified to be palm olein only (straight refining cooking oil), but then flip-flopped into a total ban of crude palm oil as well. Markets went haywire, prices jumped to historical highs and Indonesia’s trading partners reacted with alarm.
Joko Widodo has said that the ban will be indefinite until domestic cooking oil prices ‘moderate’. With the global situation as it is, ‘moderate’ is unlikely to be achieved until the end of 2022 at least, if ‘moderate’ is taken to be the previous level of palm oil prices – roughly half of current pricing. Logistically, Indonesia cannot hold out on the ban for more than two months. Only a third of Indonesia’s monthly palm oil production is consumed domestically; the rest is exported. An indefinite ban means that not only fill storage tanks up beyond capacity and estates forced to let fruit rot, but Indonesia will be missing out on crucial revenue from its crude palm oil export tax. Which is used to fund its biodiesel subsidies.
And that’s where the implications on oil come in. Indonesia’s ham-fisted attempt at protectionism has dire implications on biofuels policies in Asia. Palm oil prices within Indonesia might sink as long as surplus volumes can’t make it beyond the borders, but international palm oil prices will remain high as consuming countries pivot to producers like Malaysia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, West Africa and Latin America. That in turn, threatens the biodiesel mandates in Thailand and Malaysia. The Thai government has already expressed concern over palm-led food price inflation and associated pressure on its (subsidised) biodiesel programme, launching efforts to mitigate the worst effects. Malaysia – which has a more direct approach to subsidised fuels – is also feeling the pinch. Thailand’s move to B10 and Malaysia’s move to B20 is now in jeopardy; in fact, Thailand has regressed its national mandate from B7 to B5. And the reason is that the differential between the bio- and the diesel portion of the biodiesel is now so disparate that subsidy regimes break down. It would be far cheaper – for the government, the tax-payers and consumers – to use straight diesel instead of biodiesel, as evidenced by Thailand’s reversal in mandates.
That, in turn, has implications on crude pricing. While OPEC+ is stubbornly sticking to its gentle approach to managing global crude supply, the stunning rebound in Asian demand has already kept the consumption side tight to match that supply. Crude prices above US$100/b are a recipe for demand destruction, and Asian economies have been preparing for this by looking at alternatives; biofuels for example. In the past four years, Indonesia has converted some of its oil refineries into biodiesel plants; in China, stricter crude import quotas are paving the way for China to clamp down on its status of a fuels exporter in favour of self-sustainability. But what happens when crude prices are high, but the prices of alternatives are higher? That is the case for palm oil now, where the gasoil-palm spread is now triple the previous average.
Part of this situation is due to market dynamics. Part of it is due to geopolitical effects. But part of it is also due to Indonesia’s knee-jerk reaction. Supply disruption at the level of a blanket ban is always seismic and kicks off a chain of unintended consequences; see the OPEC oil shocks of the 70s. Indonesia’s palm oil export ban is almost at that level. ‘Indefinite’ is a vague term and offers no consolation to markets looking for direction. Damage will be done, even if the ban lasts a month. But the longer it lasts – Indonesian general elections are due in February 2024 – the more serious the consequences could be. And the more the oil and refining industry in Asia will have to think about their preconceived notions of the future of oil in the region.
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