Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry

Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study provides an insight into the oil and gas industry. Analyze market trends for oil and gas industry in the global arena. To understand financial performance and financial position of oil and natural gas companies like ONGC, Petro china, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. To analyse the financial statements of 2009-2010, so as to understand about the key factors like Profitability and Solvency for decision making and ultimate business solvency. To find out the ratios of the company and carry out a comparative study. To understand the current position of these companies. To analyze the Indian oil market. To see the international scenario. To analyze the oil prices in India and other countries. BROAD APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Type The study carried out will be more like a Descriptive Research. For analyzing the financial statement, methodology to be used is financial ratio analysis and comparative study. Purpose The study mainly focuses on giving knowledge about the importance of annual reports. Data collection The data collection has been made in two ways: Primary source: Data has been collected with the help of constant interaction with my mentor Ms. Uma Rajamani Manager (FA). Secondary source: Data has been collected with the help of : Annual report of ONGC. ONGC reports. Internet. This source helped me in collecting information about the company as a whole, financial performance. Before making use of secondary data both the data and its source were evaluated. Particular attention was paid to definitions used, measurement error, source bias, reliability and the time span of the secondary data. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INDIAN OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PETROLEUM NATURAL GAS SECTOR DURING 2009-10 India has total reserves (proved indicated) of 1201 million metric tonnes of crude oiland1437 billion cubic metres of natural gas as on 1.4.2010. The total number of exploratory and development wells and metreage drilled in onshoreand offshore areas during 2009-10 was 428 and 1019 thousand metres respectively. Crude oil production during 2009-10 at 33.69 million metric tonnes is 0.55% higher than33.51 million metric tonnes produced during 2008-09. Gross Production of Natural Gas in the country at 47.51 billion cubic metres during 2009-10 is 44.63% higher than the production of 32.85 billion cubic metres during 2008-09. The production of Natural Gas at 44.94% and 0.08% of the total were highest and lowestin JVC/Private and West Bengal respectively during 2009-10. The flaring of Natural Gas in 2009-10 at 2.09% of gross production is lower than at 3.29% in 2008-09. The refining capacity in the country increased to 184.386 million tonnes per annum(MTPA) as on 1.4.2010 from 177.968 MTPA as on 1.4.2009. The total refinery crude throughput during 2009-10 at 160.03 million metric tonnes is0.46% lower than 160.77 million metric tonnes crude processed in 2008-09 and the prorate capacity utilisation in 2009-10 was 89.92% as compared to 107.43% in 2008-09. The production of petroleum products during 2009-10 was 151.898 million metric tones (including 2.244 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas) registering adecrease of 0.51% over last years production at 152.678 million metric tonnes (including2.162 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas). The country exported 50.974 million metric tonnes of petroleum products against theimports of 23.49 million metric tonnes (including 8.828 million metric tonnes of LNG) during 2009-10. The consumption of petroleum products during 2009-10 were 138.196 million metrictonnes (including sales through private imports) which is 3.60% higher than the sales of133.400 million metric tonnes during 2008-09. The total number of retail outlets of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 has gone upto 36462 from 34948 on 1.4.2009. The total number of LPG consumers of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 were 114.952 million against 105.632 million as on 1.4.2009. The number of persons employed (including contract employees) in petroleum industryas on 1.04.2010 and 1.04.2009 are 129988 138973 respectively. OIL INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION TO THE OIL INDUSTRY Energy in all its forms is critical to economic growth, development, and social welfare. The worlds need for reliable and affordable energy supplies is growing. Energy is a critical input for economic growth and its availability determines the quality of both, the national economy and the life of citizens. Sustainable economic progress hinges crucially around the supply of stable and competitively priced energy. Oil is a fungible, international commodity whose ownership and ultimate destination is determined by market forces once it leaves the producing country. No country can effectively isolate itself from changes elsewhere in the market, nor is it likely that any nation can take actions that do not indirectly affect other nations. Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture. OIL industry is considered to be the back bone of an economy because this is the main source of energy till date. Any economy around the world would fail to precede a single step in the absence of petroleum industry. Thus, before using this energy source, the crude petroleum is required to be refined in the petroleum refineries for extracting various fractions for energy generation namely, petrol, natural gas, kerosene, asphalt and many more. The processes that are involved in the petroleum industry are: Drilling at the site of petroleum for making well so that the crude oil could be extracted. Refining of the crude oil Storing of the extracted oil in a secured place. Transportation of the stored crude oil is required to be done to the different refineries. Processing of the crude oil needs to be done in the processing units of refineries for converting it into usable fuel form along with the other important derivative products. Core activities of oil and natural gas sector Exploration and Production India is heavily import dependent for its oil and gas requirements. Our total imports of crude oiland petroleum products in the year 2008-09 amounted to 146.441 million metric tones (MMT), worth about Rs. 4,01,631 crore. The country also exported petroleum products amounting to 36.414 MMT, earning foreign exchange worth nearly Rs. 1,15,987 crore. The gap between demand and availability of crude oil from indigenous sources is likely to increase over the years. In case of gas, this gap is expected to decrease with production of gas from KG basin. The growing gap in demand and supply of oil and the shortfall in supply of gas requires greater emphasis to be placed on exploration and production. Objectives of Exploration and Production activities To undertake a complete appraisal of the Indian Sedimentary basin area for tapping thehydrocarbon potential. To optimize production of crude oil and natural gas in the most efficient manner. To keep pace with the technological advancements and remain at the technological forefront in the global exploration and production industry. To achieve a near zero impact on environment. Refining and Marketing The development of refining and marketing activities is crucial for achieving self sufficiency inpetroleum products and in moving towards a competitive and consumer oriented market. Objective of Refining and Marketing Activities Maintain self-sufficiency in all petroleum products by appropriate enhancement in refiningcapacities by National Oil Companies private players including international oil companies. Develop export capability in petroleum products so that the refining industry becomes globally competitive and oil security is enhanced. To develop corresponding infrastructure including ports, pipelines and depots, etc. for anefficient oil industry. To make available quality fuels at affordable prices while continuing subsidies for sensitivepetroleum products. To improve consumer services through better retailing practices and competition. Tariff and Pricing A rational tariff and pricing policy is vital to ensure healthy growth of the hydrocarbonsector and to protect the consumers as well. Objectives of Tariff and Pricing Policy To provide incentives for cleaner, greener and quality fuels so as to promote an environment friendly hydrocarbon sector. To balance the need to boost Government revenue with the need to align taxes and duties with Asia- Pacific countries and the prices to international levels. To promote new investments, by ensuring adequate protection to domestic producers The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The upstream oil sector is known as exploration and production sector. It includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil. The midstream processes, stores, markets and transports the crude oil. The downstream oil sector is used to refer to the refining of crude oil, selling and distribution. Oil companies measure oil production in the unit of barrels (bbl). Oil Natural Gas Commission was established on 14th August, 1956 as a statutory body under Oil Natural Gas Commission Act (The ONGC Act), for the development of petroleum resources and sale of petroleum products. ONGC was converted into a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and named as â€Å"Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited† with effect from 1st February, 1994. The Government disinvested around 10% of the equity shares of ONGC in March 2004 through a public offer in the domestic capital market at Rs. 750 per share. After the above disinvestment, the shareholding of the Government in ONGC came down to around 74.15%. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2009-10. ONGC has made 15 oil gas discoveries in the areas under its operative control. State-of-the-art technologies inducted in hardware software for seismic data acquisition, processing interpretation, and in well logging. Advanced drilling techniques for sidetracks, multilateral and extended reach wells absorbed and implemented on fast track. Engineering design audit introduced with significant cost savings. ONGC registered its fifth Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on September 22, 2009. The project, ‘Energy Efficiency of Amine Circulation Pumps at Hazira involves enhancing energy efficiency achieved in the Amine Circulation Pumps of Hazira Plant. The project will fetch an estimated Certified Emission Reduction (CER) of 4043 per year for a period of 10 years. With this, ONGC achieves a total annual CER of about 1.24 lakh. National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category: ONGC has bagged four National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category for year 2007. This is fourth consecutive years that ONGC has bagged these awards, instituted by the Ministry of Labour Employment, Government of India to motivate, appreciate and recognize the extraordinary performance in the area of mines safety. These awards were given by the Honble Vice President of India in New Delhi on October 23, 2009. These awards are based on Longest Accident Free Period (LAFP) and Lowest Injury Frequency Rate (LIFR) and were judged by jury of Director General of Mines Safety, Management Representatives and Trade Union Representatives. PCRA Award for Oil and Gas Conservation: ONGC bagged the Best Overall Performance PCRA Award amongst the Upstream Oil Companies for the Oil and Gas Conservation Programmes during the year 2009. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, Mumbai The Company has the following ASSETS /PLANTS/ BASINS/ REGIONS : A. ASSETS/ PLANTS: Mumbai High Asset, Mumbai Neelam Heera Asset, Mumbai Bassein Satellite Asset, Mumbai Uran Plant, Uran Hazira Plant, Hazira Ahmedabad Asset, Ahmedabad Ankleshwar Asset, Mehsana Mehsana Asset, Mehsana Rajamundry Asset, Rajamundry Karaikal Asset, Karaikal Assam Asset, Nazira Tripura Asset, Agartala B. BASINS: Western Offshore Basin, Mumbai Western Onshore Basin Vadodara KG Basin, Rajamundry Cauvery Basin , Chennai Assam Assam-Arakan Basin , Jorhat CBM- BPM Basin , Kolkata Frontier Basin , Dehradun C. REGIONS: Mumbai Region, Mumbai Western Region, Baroda Eastern Region, Nazira Southern Region, Chennai Central Region, Kolkata PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 PROGRESS OF PROJECTS : MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR PROJECTS APPROVED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR INITIATIVES Strategic goals set for two decades 2001-2020 Doubling Reserve Accretion to 12 Billion MTO+OEG Improving Recovery Factor to the order of 40% Production of 20 MMTPA O+OEG equity oil and gas from acquisitions abroad. Short-term Strategy Time scheduled exploration activities for prospect recognition and drilling. Prioritisation of exploration activities on fast track basis for enhancing reserves accretion. Pre-drill 3D seismic in deepwater and blanket 3D in key growth areas. Knowledge building in new sectors of producing as well as frontier basins. Medium-long-term Strategy Further intensification of exploration in the producing basins to realise the hydrocarbon resources to in-place volume conversion. Exploration spread in non-producing basins and yet to be explored basins to establish their potential and knowledge building. Major shift to deep offshore as the major thrust and contributing sector. Strategic Initiatives Major development projects including IOR/ EOR schemes with an approved cost of Rs. 30,000 crore are under various stages of implementation to enhance crude oil and natural gas production. A new and dedicated business unit viz. Eastern Offshore Asset has been constituted with an aim to put east coast discoveries on a fast track development through an integrated east coast hub. Substantive decentralization of administrative authorities together with delegation of financial authorities carried out to empower the field executives. Induction of new technologies in core areas of EP activities like: Acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data Drilling and production technology IT and communication. Materials Management Inventory Management and codification procedure have been implemented and computerized to track and identify the materials efficiently. NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY (i) Wind Power Project: Wind Farm Project of 50 MW at Motisindoli in Kutch district of Gujarat is an initiative of ONGC towards its commitment for environment-friendly and pollution-free energy production. The power generated from this wind power project is being wheeled to 101 locations of ONGCs oil field installations/ offices/ residential quarters in the state of Gujarat. ONGC shall be saving about Rs. 30 crore per year on electricity charges in Gujarat, considering the present purchase price of electricity. (ii) Installations of Solar thermal plants: Solar thermal plants in ONGC guest house, hospital, academy hostel, officers club, central workshop, Baroda and colony are already installed. Initiatives have been taken to install the solar water heating system at other locations of ONGC also. Solar panels were installed at well heads of (Bokaro) Jharkhand. 9600 lakhs per day (LPD) capacity of solar water heating system is added in this year and total capacity installed is 38100 LPD. HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT (HSE) Environmental initiatives encompassed solid waste, liquid effluent, air emission monitoring mechanism for proactive planning to manage waste through environment-friendly technologies like bio-remediation, reduction and recycling options and environmental reporting based on global reporting initiative principles. Several initiatives of long-term and continuous nature like bio-remediation of oily sludge, effluent management, ISO certification of installations on international benchmark standards, Mangroove and Hingal plantations etc. are also being carried out in ONGC. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ONGC is actively pursuing energy conservation measures. The conservation of petroleum products namely HSD, Lube oil and natural gas are important activities. These measures include: Phasing out of old diesel engines more than 15 years old. Awareness campaign on use of bio-diesel as alternate fuel. Use of small DG sets during lean periods in rigs, proper capacity utilization, rationalization and efficiency improvement of equipments, use of energy efficient devices. Substitution of diesel engines with gas engines at installations where gas is available. Increase in lube oil change period resulting in substantial saving. Natural gas flaring has been reduced and the same is being supplied to consumers. Use of small DG sets and waste heat recovery equipment at offshore platforms, rigs, LPG plants at Hazira and Uran. Use of energy efficient equipment and devices such as top drives, linear motion shale shakers, electronic diesel engines, soft start systems and energy efficient lamps etc. Use of gas engines in place of diesel ones for power generation. Thermal energy cost reduction achieved by maintenance of steam traps at processing plants. Conducting energy audit on regular basis and Petroleum Products Conservation Opportunities (PPCOs) are identified. Harnessing solar energy by using solar water heaters/ photo-voltaic panels at various locations. ONGC VIDESH LIMITED (OVL) ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONGC, was incorporated as Hydrocarbons India Private Limited on 5th March, 1965 with an initial authorised capital of Rs. 5 lakh, for the business of international exploration and production. Its name was changed to ONGC Videsh Limited on 15th June, 1989. The authorised and paid-up share capital of OVL as on 31st March, 2007 was Rs. 1,000 crore. The primary business of the company is to prospect for oil and gas acreages abroad. These include acquisition of oil and gas fields in foreign countries as well as exploration, production, transportation and sale of oil and gas. OVL currently has participation in 39 projects in 15 countries namely, Vietnam (3 projects), Russia (2 projects), Sudan (3 projects), Iran (1 project), Iraq (1 project), Libya (3 projects), Myanmar (5 projects), Syria (2 projects), Egypt (2 projects), Cuba (2 projects), Nigeria Sao Tome Principe JDZ (1 project), Brazil (5 projects), Nigeria (2 projects), Colombia (6 projects), and Venezuela (1 project). OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production is currently from 9 projects in seven countries, viz., Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Syria, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production in 2009-10 is expected to be 8.142 Million. Metric Tonne of oil equivalent (MMTOE) including of 2.017 BCM of natural gas. The other 30 projects being implemented by OVL are at various stages of exploration and appraisal. The gross revenue of Rs.13,444 crore is estimated by OVL during the financial year 2009-10 with net profit of Rs.412 crore. Further, OVL is pursuing acquisition of various oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in Russia, Central Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East, which are at different stages. Established as a joint stock company with limited liabilities on November 5,1999, as part of the restructuring of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It was respectively listed on the NYSE (ADS code: PTR) and the HKSE (stock code: 00857) in April 2000 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code:601857) in November 2007. As at end of 2010, CNPC holds 86.292% shares of Petro China. Ranked 7th by Platts in the â€Å"Top 250 Global Energy Companies† published by Platts Energy in 2010, which was the top ranking among enterprises in the Asia Pacific region for eight consecutive years. Included as a constituent stock of the SSE Social Responsibility index and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. Adheres to the corporate policy of â€Å"Caring for Energy, Caring for You† and core business management principles of â€Å"Honesty, Innovation, Performance, Harmony and Safety†. Perseveres in carrying out business in a more effective, safe and environmentally friendly manner; pursues the balance among the economy, environment and society; provides sustainable energy for economic and social development; and creates a better life for people. CORE BUSINESSES Engaged in a broad range of businesses related to oil and natural gas, which mainly include the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, the refining, transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil and refined products, the production and marketing of primary petrochemical products, their derivatives and other chemicals, and the transportation and marketing of natural gas. Chevron is an American multinationalenergycorporation. Headquartered inSan Ramon, California, and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of theoil,gas, andgeothermalenergy industries, includingexplorationandproduction, refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; andpower generation. Chevron is one of the worlds six super major oil companies. For the past five years, Chevron has been continuously ranked as one of Americas 5 largest corporations byFortune 500. Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study provides an insight into the oil and gas industry. Analyze market trends for oil and gas industry in the global arena. To understand financial performance and financial position of oil and natural gas companies like ONGC, Petro china, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. To analyse the financial statements of 2009-2010, so as to understand about the key factors like Profitability and Solvency for decision making and ultimate business solvency. To find out the ratios of the company and carry out a comparative study. To understand the current position of these companies. To analyze the Indian oil market. To see the international scenario. To analyze the oil prices in India and other countries. BROAD APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Type The study carried out will be more like a Descriptive Research. For analyzing the financial statement, methodology to be used is financial ratio analysis and comparative study. Purpose The study mainly focuses on giving knowledge about the importance of annual reports. Data collection The data collection has been made in two ways: Primary source: Data has been collected with the help of constant interaction with my mentor Ms. Uma Rajamani Manager (FA). Secondary source: Data has been collected with the help of : Annual report of ONGC. ONGC reports. Internet. This source helped me in collecting information about the company as a whole, financial performance. Before making use of secondary data both the data and its source were evaluated. Particular attention was paid to definitions used, measurement error, source bias, reliability and the time span of the secondary data. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INDIAN OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PETROLEUM NATURAL GAS SECTOR DURING 2009-10 India has total reserves (proved indicated) of 1201 million metric tonnes of crude oiland1437 billion cubic metres of natural gas as on 1.4.2010. The total number of exploratory and development wells and metreage drilled in onshoreand offshore areas during 2009-10 was 428 and 1019 thousand metres respectively. Crude oil production during 2009-10 at 33.69 million metric tonnes is 0.55% higher than33.51 million metric tonnes produced during 2008-09. Gross Production of Natural Gas in the country at 47.51 billion cubic metres during 2009-10 is 44.63% higher than the production of 32.85 billion cubic metres during 2008-09. The production of Natural Gas at 44.94% and 0.08% of the total were highest and lowestin JVC/Private and West Bengal respectively during 2009-10. The flaring of Natural Gas in 2009-10 at 2.09% of gross production is lower than at 3.29% in 2008-09. The refining capacity in the country increased to 184.386 million tonnes per annum(MTPA) as on 1.4.2010 from 177.968 MTPA as on 1.4.2009. The total refinery crude throughput during 2009-10 at 160.03 million metric tonnes is0.46% lower than 160.77 million metric tonnes crude processed in 2008-09 and the prorate capacity utilisation in 2009-10 was 89.92% as compared to 107.43% in 2008-09. The production of petroleum products during 2009-10 was 151.898 million metric tones (including 2.244 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas) registering adecrease of 0.51% over last years production at 152.678 million metric tonnes (including2.162 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas). The country exported 50.974 million metric tonnes of petroleum products against theimports of 23.49 million metric tonnes (including 8.828 million metric tonnes of LNG) during 2009-10. The consumption of petroleum products during 2009-10 were 138.196 million metrictonnes (including sales through private imports) which is 3.60% higher than the sales of133.400 million metric tonnes during 2008-09. The total number of retail outlets of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 has gone upto 36462 from 34948 on 1.4.2009. The total number of LPG consumers of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 were 114.952 million against 105.632 million as on 1.4.2009. The number of persons employed (including contract employees) in petroleum industryas on 1.04.2010 and 1.04.2009 are 129988 138973 respectively. OIL INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION TO THE OIL INDUSTRY Energy in all its forms is critical to economic growth, development, and social welfare. The worlds need for reliable and affordable energy supplies is growing. Energy is a critical input for economic growth and its availability determines the quality of both, the national economy and the life of citizens. Sustainable economic progress hinges crucially around the supply of stable and competitively priced energy. Oil is a fungible, international commodity whose ownership and ultimate destination is determined by market forces once it leaves the producing country. No country can effectively isolate itself from changes elsewhere in the market, nor is it likely that any nation can take actions that do not indirectly affect other nations. Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture. OIL industry is considered to be the back bone of an economy because this is the main source of energy till date. Any economy around the world would fail to precede a single step in the absence of petroleum industry. Thus, before using this energy source, the crude petroleum is required to be refined in the petroleum refineries for extracting various fractions for energy generation namely, petrol, natural gas, kerosene, asphalt and many more. The processes that are involved in the petroleum industry are: Drilling at the site of petroleum for making well so that the crude oil could be extracted. Refining of the crude oil Storing of the extracted oil in a secured place. Transportation of the stored crude oil is required to be done to the different refineries. Processing of the crude oil needs to be done in the processing units of refineries for converting it into usable fuel form along with the other important derivative products. Core activities of oil and natural gas sector Exploration and Production India is heavily import dependent for its oil and gas requirements. Our total imports of crude oiland petroleum products in the year 2008-09 amounted to 146.441 million metric tones (MMT), worth about Rs. 4,01,631 crore. The country also exported petroleum products amounting to 36.414 MMT, earning foreign exchange worth nearly Rs. 1,15,987 crore. The gap between demand and availability of crude oil from indigenous sources is likely to increase over the years. In case of gas, this gap is expected to decrease with production of gas from KG basin. The growing gap in demand and supply of oil and the shortfall in supply of gas requires greater emphasis to be placed on exploration and production. Objectives of Exploration and Production activities To undertake a complete appraisal of the Indian Sedimentary basin area for tapping thehydrocarbon potential. To optimize production of crude oil and natural gas in the most efficient manner. To keep pace with the technological advancements and remain at the technological forefront in the global exploration and production industry. To achieve a near zero impact on environment. Refining and Marketing The development of refining and marketing activities is crucial for achieving self sufficiency inpetroleum products and in moving towards a competitive and consumer oriented market. Objective of Refining and Marketing Activities Maintain self-sufficiency in all petroleum products by appropriate enhancement in refiningcapacities by National Oil Companies private players including international oil companies. Develop export capability in petroleum products so that the refining industry becomes globally competitive and oil security is enhanced. To develop corresponding infrastructure including ports, pipelines and depots, etc. for anefficient oil industry. To make available quality fuels at affordable prices while continuing subsidies for sensitivepetroleum products. To improve consumer services through better retailing practices and competition. Tariff and Pricing A rational tariff and pricing policy is vital to ensure healthy growth of the hydrocarbonsector and to protect the consumers as well. Objectives of Tariff and Pricing Policy To provide incentives for cleaner, greener and quality fuels so as to promote an environment friendly hydrocarbon sector. To balance the need to boost Government revenue with the need to align taxes and duties with Asia- Pacific countries and the prices to international levels. To promote new investments, by ensuring adequate protection to domestic producers The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The upstream oil sector is known as exploration and production sector. It includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil. The midstream processes, stores, markets and transports the crude oil. The downstream oil sector is used to refer to the refining of crude oil, selling and distribution. Oil companies measure oil production in the unit of barrels (bbl). Oil Natural Gas Commission was established on 14th August, 1956 as a statutory body under Oil Natural Gas Commission Act (The ONGC Act), for the development of petroleum resources and sale of petroleum products. ONGC was converted into a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and named as â€Å"Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited† with effect from 1st February, 1994. The Government disinvested around 10% of the equity shares of ONGC in March 2004 through a public offer in the domestic capital market at Rs. 750 per share. After the above disinvestment, the shareholding of the Government in ONGC came down to around 74.15%. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2009-10. ONGC has made 15 oil gas discoveries in the areas under its operative control. State-of-the-art technologies inducted in hardware software for seismic data acquisition, processing interpretation, and in well logging. Advanced drilling techniques for sidetracks, multilateral and extended reach wells absorbed and implemented on fast track. Engineering design audit introduced with significant cost savings. ONGC registered its fifth Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on September 22, 2009. The project, ‘Energy Efficiency of Amine Circulation Pumps at Hazira involves enhancing energy efficiency achieved in the Amine Circulation Pumps of Hazira Plant. The project will fetch an estimated Certified Emission Reduction (CER) of 4043 per year for a period of 10 years. With this, ONGC achieves a total annual CER of about 1.24 lakh. National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category: ONGC has bagged four National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category for year 2007. This is fourth consecutive years that ONGC has bagged these awards, instituted by the Ministry of Labour Employment, Government of India to motivate, appreciate and recognize the extraordinary performance in the area of mines safety. These awards were given by the Honble Vice President of India in New Delhi on October 23, 2009. These awards are based on Longest Accident Free Period (LAFP) and Lowest Injury Frequency Rate (LIFR) and were judged by jury of Director General of Mines Safety, Management Representatives and Trade Union Representatives. PCRA Award for Oil and Gas Conservation: ONGC bagged the Best Overall Performance PCRA Award amongst the Upstream Oil Companies for the Oil and Gas Conservation Programmes during the year 2009. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, Mumbai The Company has the following ASSETS /PLANTS/ BASINS/ REGIONS : A. ASSETS/ PLANTS: Mumbai High Asset, Mumbai Neelam Heera Asset, Mumbai Bassein Satellite Asset, Mumbai Uran Plant, Uran Hazira Plant, Hazira Ahmedabad Asset, Ahmedabad Ankleshwar Asset, Mehsana Mehsana Asset, Mehsana Rajamundry Asset, Rajamundry Karaikal Asset, Karaikal Assam Asset, Nazira Tripura Asset, Agartala B. BASINS: Western Offshore Basin, Mumbai Western Onshore Basin Vadodara KG Basin, Rajamundry Cauvery Basin , Chennai Assam Assam-Arakan Basin , Jorhat CBM- BPM Basin , Kolkata Frontier Basin , Dehradun C. REGIONS: Mumbai Region, Mumbai Western Region, Baroda Eastern Region, Nazira Southern Region, Chennai Central Region, Kolkata PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 PROGRESS OF PROJECTS : MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR PROJECTS APPROVED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR INITIATIVES Strategic goals set for two decades 2001-2020 Doubling Reserve Accretion to 12 Billion MTO+OEG Improving Recovery Factor to the order of 40% Production of 20 MMTPA O+OEG equity oil and gas from acquisitions abroad. Short-term Strategy Time scheduled exploration activities for prospect recognition and drilling. Prioritisation of exploration activities on fast track basis for enhancing reserves accretion. Pre-drill 3D seismic in deepwater and blanket 3D in key growth areas. Knowledge building in new sectors of producing as well as frontier basins. Medium-long-term Strategy Further intensification of exploration in the producing basins to realise the hydrocarbon resources to in-place volume conversion. Exploration spread in non-producing basins and yet to be explored basins to establish their potential and knowledge building. Major shift to deep offshore as the major thrust and contributing sector. Strategic Initiatives Major development projects including IOR/ EOR schemes with an approved cost of Rs. 30,000 crore are under various stages of implementation to enhance crude oil and natural gas production. A new and dedicated business unit viz. Eastern Offshore Asset has been constituted with an aim to put east coast discoveries on a fast track development through an integrated east coast hub. Substantive decentralization of administrative authorities together with delegation of financial authorities carried out to empower the field executives. Induction of new technologies in core areas of EP activities like: Acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data Drilling and production technology IT and communication. Materials Management Inventory Management and codification procedure have been implemented and computerized to track and identify the materials efficiently. NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY (i) Wind Power Project: Wind Farm Project of 50 MW at Motisindoli in Kutch district of Gujarat is an initiative of ONGC towards its commitment for environment-friendly and pollution-free energy production. The power generated from this wind power project is being wheeled to 101 locations of ONGCs oil field installations/ offices/ residential quarters in the state of Gujarat. ONGC shall be saving about Rs. 30 crore per year on electricity charges in Gujarat, considering the present purchase price of electricity. (ii) Installations of Solar thermal plants: Solar thermal plants in ONGC guest house, hospital, academy hostel, officers club, central workshop, Baroda and colony are already installed. Initiatives have been taken to install the solar water heating system at other locations of ONGC also. Solar panels were installed at well heads of (Bokaro) Jharkhand. 9600 lakhs per day (LPD) capacity of solar water heating system is added in this year and total capacity installed is 38100 LPD. HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT (HSE) Environmental initiatives encompassed solid waste, liquid effluent, air emission monitoring mechanism for proactive planning to manage waste through environment-friendly technologies like bio-remediation, reduction and recycling options and environmental reporting based on global reporting initiative principles. Several initiatives of long-term and continuous nature like bio-remediation of oily sludge, effluent management, ISO certification of installations on international benchmark standards, Mangroove and Hingal plantations etc. are also being carried out in ONGC. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ONGC is actively pursuing energy conservation measures. The conservation of petroleum products namely HSD, Lube oil and natural gas are important activities. These measures include: Phasing out of old diesel engines more than 15 years old. Awareness campaign on use of bio-diesel as alternate fuel. Use of small DG sets during lean periods in rigs, proper capacity utilization, rationalization and efficiency improvement of equipments, use of energy efficient devices. Substitution of diesel engines with gas engines at installations where gas is available. Increase in lube oil change period resulting in substantial saving. Natural gas flaring has been reduced and the same is being supplied to consumers. Use of small DG sets and waste heat recovery equipment at offshore platforms, rigs, LPG plants at Hazira and Uran. Use of energy efficient equipment and devices such as top drives, linear motion shale shakers, electronic diesel engines, soft start systems and energy efficient lamps etc. Use of gas engines in place of diesel ones for power generation. Thermal energy cost reduction achieved by maintenance of steam traps at processing plants. Conducting energy audit on regular basis and Petroleum Products Conservation Opportunities (PPCOs) are identified. Harnessing solar energy by using solar water heaters/ photo-voltaic panels at various locations. ONGC VIDESH LIMITED (OVL) ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONGC, was incorporated as Hydrocarbons India Private Limited on 5th March, 1965 with an initial authorised capital of Rs. 5 lakh, for the business of international exploration and production. Its name was changed to ONGC Videsh Limited on 15th June, 1989. The authorised and paid-up share capital of OVL as on 31st March, 2007 was Rs. 1,000 crore. The primary business of the company is to prospect for oil and gas acreages abroad. These include acquisition of oil and gas fields in foreign countries as well as exploration, production, transportation and sale of oil and gas. OVL currently has participation in 39 projects in 15 countries namely, Vietnam (3 projects), Russia (2 projects), Sudan (3 projects), Iran (1 project), Iraq (1 project), Libya (3 projects), Myanmar (5 projects), Syria (2 projects), Egypt (2 projects), Cuba (2 projects), Nigeria Sao Tome Principe JDZ (1 project), Brazil (5 projects), Nigeria (2 projects), Colombia (6 projects), and Venezuela (1 project). OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production is currently from 9 projects in seven countries, viz., Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Syria, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production in 2009-10 is expected to be 8.142 Million. Metric Tonne of oil equivalent (MMTOE) including of 2.017 BCM of natural gas. The other 30 projects being implemented by OVL are at various stages of exploration and appraisal. The gross revenue of Rs.13,444 crore is estimated by OVL during the financial year 2009-10 with net profit of Rs.412 crore. Further, OVL is pursuing acquisition of various oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in Russia, Central Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East, which are at different stages. Established as a joint stock company with limited liabilities on November 5,1999, as part of the restructuring of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It was respectively listed on the NYSE (ADS code: PTR) and the HKSE (stock code: 00857) in April 2000 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code:601857) in November 2007. As at end of 2010, CNPC holds 86.292% shares of Petro China. Ranked 7th by Platts in the â€Å"Top 250 Global Energy Companies† published by Platts Energy in 2010, which was the top ranking among enterprises in the Asia Pacific region for eight consecutive years. Included as a constituent stock of the SSE Social Responsibility index and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. Adheres to the corporate policy of â€Å"Caring for Energy, Caring for You† and core business management principles of â€Å"Honesty, Innovation, Performance, Harmony and Safety†. Perseveres in carrying out business in a more effective, safe and environmentally friendly manner; pursues the balance among the economy, environment and society; provides sustainable energy for economic and social development; and creates a better life for people. CORE BUSINESSES Engaged in a broad range of businesses related to oil and natural gas, which mainly include the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, the refining, transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil and refined products, the production and marketing of primary petrochemical products, their derivatives and other chemicals, and the transportation and marketing of natural gas. Chevron is an American multinationalenergycorporation. Headquartered inSan Ramon, California, and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of theoil,gas, andgeothermalenergy industries, includingexplorationandproduction, refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; andpower generation. Chevron is one of the worlds six super major oil companies. For the past five years, Chevron has been continuously ranked as one of Americas 5 largest corporations byFortune 500.

Nature & Function of Academic English

There has been an ongoing discourse about different approaches that translates to the best way of teaching the English language and what appropriately constitute to the language itself. Genre knowledge has been the source of much discourse in the academe because of how it affects the disciplinary and professional cultures of teaching Academic English (Berkenkotter & Huckin 24).The academic discourse further covers the features of the language in terms of linguistic, grammatical and vocabulary features. The discussion of such features and how it is affected under the different approaches is evaluated to provide for the grounds for the approach that must be seriously considered in for the academe use. Research about written discourse and text that hold such a prominence in the academy are analyzed according to formal discourse genres, their characteristics as well as the common linguistic features it possess (Hinkel 2).Above the question of the importance of the genre approach, there i s also a question as to how explicit the teaching instruction must be. Contradicting sides would argue about the necessity of the teaching such approach (Freedman & Medway 193). Others would argue if it is even possible (Freedman & Medway 193). Others would wonder if it would benefit the students or would it prove to be more dangerous (Freedman & Medway 193). There is also a discourse about the right timing by which such an approach should and could be applied to a class depending upon the students’ age and capabilities in writing (Freedman & Medway 193).Genre & Academic Discourse  Literary genres were discussed as early as in Aristotle’s The Poetics and developed in the Rhetoric that shows how he defined genres as a simple way of classifying text types, this is what was generally accepted over time (Clarke 242). According to traditional views, genre was limited to being primarily literary, defined by textual regularities in terms of form and content, classified into simplified categories and subcategories (Clarke 242). Under this definition, genre was not seen as relevant in terms of the discussion of composition and pedagogy (Clarke 242).Most of the linguists advocate that there should be a concentration for mastery of the different genres in the English language and that the teachers should focus on giving specific instruction that teaches the characteristic of each genre (Mercer & Swann 222). The students need a model by which they could follow in keeping with a genre structure (Mercer & Swann 222). They see grammar to play an important role in the process of learning the genres because it enables the students to â€Å"manipulate the text† contradictory to the process approach that sees the trouble in explicit manner of teaching grammar due to its unnecessity and danger to the students’ learning (Mercer & Swann 222).The common misconception would refer to genre and text type to merely be the same aspect of a text but in realit y they actually differ in terms of texts with particular genres having different linguistic characteristics and other literary features (Johns 73). However, different genres can be similar linguistically. Genre can be described as text characterized by external criteria, for instance written or spoken text, different audience, different context or purpose (Johns 73-74). On the other hand, text types can be represented by rhetorical modes such as â€Å"exposition† or â€Å"argument† as different text types (Johns 74). They are seen to be similar in terms of internal discourse patterns despite having different genres (Johns 74). The two concepts then refer to complementary perspectives on texts however they still remain different (Johns 74).Teaching and Writing GenresIn a classroom environment, text types that are written and spoken are related to the different demands by which the school requires and depending upon the subject areas of focus. There are different writing tasks that involve genres that go way beyond the literary realm (Schleppegrell 77). Factual and analytical genres exist under the evolution of the academic English language. The usual technique would be for students to read massive amount of authentic texts to give awareness to the difference of the ranges of genres and determine the registers they encounter for their own chose subject matters (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 303). Students are then made of aware of the differences between academic and non-academic genres. Through the process of being exposed to the different genres, the students are familiarized with the different lexical, grammatical and organizational features of the texts that exist that train them along the way (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 303).Genre KnowledgeThe academic discourse on genre gives two perspectives in terms of structurational and sociocognitive that deals with the activity language undergoes from diverse fields like â€Å"sociolinguistics, cognitive ps ychology, educational anthropology and conversation analysis (Berkenkotter & Huckin 24).†Ã‚   This is the new concept that is emerging on top of the rich body of research regarding the genre’s structure from the structurational theory (Berkenkotter & Huckin 24). There is the constant need for the academe to monitor and recognize the changing pattern that language undergoes and thus the changes in the genres as well (Berkenkotter & Huckin 24).Full participation any general disciplinary and professional culture requires knowledge of the written genre and they are referred to as the â€Å"intellectual scaffolds on which community-based knowledge is constructed† thus placing a priority to monitor the pattern changes (Berkenkotter & Huckin 24). At the same time, they are worth examining because the genre of academic discourse also produce criteria like a â€Å"community’s norm, epistemology, ideology, and social ontology (Berkenkotter & Huckin 25)†Lingui stic Features of Academic DiscourseAccording to Martlew and Sorsby (1995) â€Å"Written language like spoken language achieves communicative ad conceptual goals by using a complex system of arbitrary symbols and conventional rules†¦ In literate societies, a developed writing system is pervasive in children’s environment and it is likely that each individual child constructs, or re-invents, their own approach to writing from whatever salient experience the environment offers which they can utilize at different levels of development (Mercer & Swann 287).†There are certain linguistic expectations from students who enter into an academic arena and such a language practice can be reflected in most social groups more than others (Schleppegrell 43). Some students can encounter difficulty because of a lack of familiarity to such linguistic standard as there are differences between the registers in an academic scenario and that of an informal interaction (Schleppegrell 43) . Despite the fact that the classrooms can provide for an avenue for the students to develop such a standard and be trained by spoken and written language activities, the teachers need to remember how the forms of language can take its place in the academic context (Schleppegrell 44).For example, academic texts are by nature â€Å"informationally dense and authoritatively presented (Schleppegrell 44).† In order to get the extract the position and information from certain texts, the teachers and students must be able to unpack the meaning and recognize the position and ideologies of the text (Schleppegrell 44). Linguistic choices and the awareness of it enable a wider participation in the contexts of learning (Schleppegrell 44).   Having a clear perspective of the grammatical features that are seen as tools in deciphering school texts then provides as the foundation for a more efficient research of language development in terms of functionality as well as learning new regist ers (Schleppegrell 44-45).Most research focus on grammatical and lexical features of the student’s language production that produces a language analysis from a systematic functional linguistics (Schleppegrell 45). Deviating from a structural approach to grammar, a functional approach do not just focus on their syntactic category (nouns, verbs, adjectives) or their elements in the sentence (subject, predicate), it focus on identifying the revealing the context of schooling in the language that are used in the text, focusing on the register as the so-called â€Å"manifestation of context (Schleppegrell 45).Studies show how different features are values when comparing writing in writing classes and writing in other academic courses (Hinkel 5). The important consideration if providing the students with linguistic and writing skills that would equip them to handle new information and expand their knowledge (Hinkel 5). Some practitioners say that exposure to a variety of reading a nd experience with writing does not constitute to having a heightened awareness in discourse, vocabulary, grammar and linguistic features of academic writing or having better writing skills (Hinkel 5). They defended explicit instruction in advanced academic writing and text is what can provide the utmost equipment (Hinkel 5).General Nature and Functions of Academic EnglishFurthermore, Martlew and Sorsby (1995) said, â€Å"Writing however is a visible language, graphic symbolic system whose roots we suggest lie in pictographic representation before links are established with spoken language. In this respect, development reflects evolution in that all writing systems which represent sounds of language evolved from pictorial representations rather than from spoken language.† Academic English offers such changing concepts (Hyland 2). The one who coined the definition for English used in academic purposes was Tim Johns (Hyland 2). It was during this time that English became an eco nomic imperative and it has been the leading language for disseminating academic knowledge (Hyland 2).Each discourse community has developed its own mode of discourse. This constitutes to the growth of Academic English. By nature it would expand and evolve to fit and address the different fields of study in need to communicate, basically that points to every discipline (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer). New objects, processes, relationships and others need new terms to be added in the lexicon. There is a need to reinterpret words that already exists to become other words that are defined by their specific fields, like a set is different in conversational English and Mathematical English (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 285).New words are also created as part of an existing word stock, like clockwise or feedback (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 285). There is also a need to borrow from another language. A term called â€Å"calquing† mean having to create new words to imitate a word that already exists from another language like omnipotens mean almighty in Latin (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 286). There is also a need to invent totally new words like the time when the word â€Å"gas† was created to be party of the field of chemistry (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 286).There is also creating â€Å"locutions† or sense of phrases and compound words as well as non-native word stocks (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 286). The nature of English is known to be shaped by certain social and cultural functions under the language of academic communities of discourse (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 290-291). The researchers suggest for having more than one valid and culturally based ideology regarding Academic English for it to be open to other cultures and factors (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 291).ConclusionDue to culture, styles of writing differ but this does not make one inferior over the other (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 290). Further research about Academic English should have a greate r level of sensitivity for other cultures or for cultural diversity (Hoadley-Maidment & Mercer 290).   It is also necessary to have a proper balance between over-prespecification of the curriculum and planning and the right amount in terms of explicit teaching of genre and other features according the students’ knowledge, abilities and background (Wiley & Hartung- Cole 205). The academe must not loose sight of social-cultural context of the relevance of Academic English in exchange for a more uniform approach or for the search for a common standard for academic discourse (Wiley & Hartung- Cole 205).Works CitedClark, Irene, et al. Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.Berkenkotter, Carol, and Thomas N. Huckin. Genre Knowledge in Disciplinary Communication: Cognition, Culture, Power. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1995.Hinkel, Eli. Second Language Writers' Text: Linguistic and Rhetor ical Features. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.Hoadley-Maidment, E. and Mercer, N. English in the Academic World. Open University course U210 The English Language: Past, Present and Future, 1996.Hyland, Ken. English for Academic Purposes: An Advanced Resource Book. New York: Routledge.Johns, Ann M., ed. Genre in the Classroom: Multiple Perspectives. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.Freedman, Aviva, and Peter Medway, eds. Genre and the New Rhetoric. London: Taylor & Francis, 1994.Mercer, N. and Swann, J. Learning English: Development and Diversity. Open University course U210 The English Language: Past, Present and Future, 1996.Schleppegrell, Mary J. The Language of Schooling: A Functional Linguistics Perspective. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.Wiley, Terrence & Hartung- Cole, Elizabeth. â€Å"Model Standards for English Language Development: National Trends and a Local Response.† Education. 119. 2. (1998): Page Number: 205.

Science in Mechanical Engineering

For someone who has always seen himself as lesser superior than others; for someone whose confidence is always behind the scene; for someone who has never really seen himself any bigger than a green pea; for someone who has acquired numbers of rejection which, apparently, outnumbered number of acceptance from people around him; for someone who used to just exist – just exist – who would have thought it would come to this point? Review I cannot consider my life as an extraordinary this world had ever had. Each person has a story to tell and I must say mine is not really something different.While some people spend their lives with lots of colors around them, some just do not – and as much as I hate to admit, I spent many years of my life belonging to the second group. I go with flow and that has always been the case. It goes this way: I knew I need to attend school and so I did. I have to do well in school or else I will suffer from all the criticisms – the usual criticisms. It is never easy to live in other people’s expectations to the point that it is what they want that drives you. It is your body under their minds. I can now imagine how pathetic that was.All the while, though, I do not think I was as inspired as the rest of the class was. I did not make lots of friends from school. No big deal! But there were times when I also deal with thinking of the reasons for the ‘empty’ life. Those days would usually end with me getting no answer than ‘It must be me†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Although I acknowledge the fact that each of us has our own set of preferences and all the while, I lived in the thought that I just prefer to live my life like this – lonely, detached, alone. It was tiring when you care for no one and more when no one cares for you.This probably exhibits the self-centered approach known to men. My being careless about others exhibits my being self-centered while others being self-centered is signifi ed by how I saw them treating me. I started my career as an advocate of science and technology. Yes, my first degree was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I used to get fascinated with breakthroughs science gets to offer – all those inventions and advances in technology. Awesome! Hale great! Breath-taking! Fantastic! All those praises†¦ Nothing can beat the feeling of having invented something out of nothing.Or the feeling of being the one to drastically improve the current state of something for the benefit of people around the globe – it is always satisfying! Or so I was told. But who could tell it was not really a career of choice? I was one of those high school graduates who do not really know what they want to happen in their lives. And so, without any particular basis, it was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering that I ended up with. Not a bad call anyway. I am aware of the good future this field has to offer. I have known of lots of pe ople who have succeeded in this career and, yes, that is, somehow, something to look forward to.I, at least, had this driving force to continue with my study. Fair enough to push me to strive harder and harder. I just told myself I need it or else I will end up with nothing. Although I appeared to be so passive all the while, in my heart I know I long for something. That something, however, is unknown. I do not know if I am just one those people who experience wanting something they do not exactly know what or looking for something they do not know, for sure, if existent. Can you just imagine how if feels to be in the dark? Be somewhere without any clear direction? They say that every little thing just takes a little of getting used to.Oh, well, probably, as I seemed to have been used to the feeling of being lost. It was sad but true. At this point in my life, I can never consider this as self-centeredness as I cannot even put myself at the center of everything. Myself was put on da rk – not in the center but in the darkness. Despite the lack of light in my life, I never questioned the existence of the Great Someone Up There. I perfectly know he is there. I do not recall how often I scream for His help. Maybe not that often but, of course, I do. I do and in my heart, I know I am not essentially alone all the while.However, there are moments when I tend to question the number and quantity of challenges facing me. There seems to be imbalance in load allocation. How come I am so lost while others follow certain direction? How come I do not know what I want in life while others are so certain of what they want in theirs? How come I do not seem to possess enough reason to be happy and complete. I often envy happy and satisfied people, I must admit – but I do not harm to them. I just envy them, that is it. And more often than not, I wish I were in their shoes. I even envy my own family members who seemed to find satisfaction in this life.Self-centered, I was, that time. In all the insecurities I have inside, there were times when I ask myself if this is something I caused. What is that something I failed to do? What is that something that I can probably change to make a difference? What could be missing? I have heard of success stories about people who started with nothing and ended up having the life they have always dreamed of. Can I not be one of them? My concern is never monetary. I did not wish for the whole world. I just want a piece of it – a piece of it where I can enjoy life to the fullest.I did not ask for extravagant things. What would a loner do with those? I doubt if anybody could really enjoy everything alone. I did not wish for fame. I have lived my life not having the attention of the whole world. I just want some compassion and feeling of belongingness. I did not wish for power as I have never ever seen myself mandating others or controlling the world. It could be that I long for power but that power is the power to appreciate and enjoy life, the power to make people see me as a sensible being worth the company, the power to contribute to the ‘real’ things in this world.In short, I was never a materialistic type. There are things I lack from within and that is something I longed for to fill in. Looking at these things now, it was all, I – I – I. I was so I-centered. Self-centeredness, however, can be seen positively or negatively. Realization should start from oneself. Otherwise, there is no way one can share himself to others. There is no way sharing yourself if you are now whole. In this way, self-centeredness can be seen as a first way in building or trying to build relationships with others.I used to have a, so to speak, very narrow view of things in life. I exist. I have to live. I have to survive. I used to find the question, â€Å"What am I here for? † or â€Å"Why do I exist? † as cliche that should have been buried decades back. Come o n! You are here because you are here and there is just nothing you can do about it! It is not a problem needing solution. It is just a situation that you have to live with. You are left with just two options – either you continue to exist or you end your own existence. Is that something needing some sort of profound thinking?!Life is as plain as that. You just have to go with the flow. I was never a person of confidence. I could not care less of what others might be thinking of me. Why would I? Could they care for me any better than that? I doubt†¦ I am just me. With or without me, the world would still revolve around the sun. With or without me, people from any part of the globe would still have 24 hours in a day. With or without me, things still go precisely the same way as they do when I am here. I am a nobody to ever have the notion I mean something – that I am myself and this person counts.As I started to look back, where did it all start? Where and when did I ever acquire this feeling of inferiority and lack of self-worth? When did I start to â€Å"kill† myself? After some self-scrutiny, these questions led me to this answer – the number of rejections I got from people around me. I was ignored for more than once, not just twice, far more than thrice, and to say it is four times is an understatement. It is never easy to be ignored. It is a feeling I would not want myself to dwell with – not anymore. As some people say, any attention is better than none.And indeed, any attention is better than the countless rejections my past gave me. Life has never been that kind to me. All those moments when I wanted to say something and no one seemed to be interested to even turn a head to look at who is talking; all those moments when my eyes could not speak more of what I feel inside and yet no one seemed to notice; all those moments when the only resort I can think of is to walk and walk and walk until my life ends; all those m oments when all I wanted is to disappear from everybody’s sight; all those moments contributed to the me that I used to be.In which case, the concept of containment applied in me. It was during this time when I tend to control and keep all emotions to myself, given the assumption that no one will listen and no one will care. My life went on and on and on. I learned to care for myself and for myself alone as I do not want to meddle with any other people’s lives. Why would I? Is it not that for so long I am with myself and myself alone? Is it not that for so long, I could not seem to find anyone beside me? Who ever said, â€Å"No man is an island? † I used to be an island and that is something I can attest.Until this very day came – I happened to come across (accidentally or probably it is fate’s planned way) with this certain book entitled, â€Å"Teach Only Love†. I am not a bookworm, definitely. No, unless it is an Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics book. I cannot exactly recall what is in that book that made me read it through. It was not me that is for sure. Nonetheless, the next thing I know is I finished reading that book. This is not normal. This must be something. And, indeed, it was. Why? Because reading that book had been the key to discover the other self I have.Yes, and it surprised me much more than any reader of this essay could ever imagine. What about this â€Å"magical† book? Nothing special at first glance†¦ It is a simple, plain, ordinary book that discusses the importance of our every word and every deed. It emphasizes that what we are today is basically an aftermath of what we said and did yesterday. I then started to look back at my past once more – the past that does not possess any allure to be revisited if not for the purpose of wanting to see myself mourning for the nth time. After reading this book once, I must admit something in me felt a slight change in perspective.But I was in denial. It is just a book – a fantasy created by someone, a perspective shared to others hoping there will be people to buy the ideas. â€Å"Count me out†, I told myself. But this book seemed to have a magical and magnetic property that made me want to read it over again. And so I did. This time, I cannot seem to put myself in denial as I did the first time. And yes, it opened my eyes in more than just one way. How could this certain piece of something, non-living, non-speaking, can speak of the things I have never heard from anyone in my life?How could this piece of bound paper wake me up from the long sleep I have been? How could it be? These are the questions reining my head for days and days. I got tired of seeking for answers. And then came the answer – if that non-living thing happened to show the life out of me, I can do far better than that. If this thing that does not have a mouth spoke to me of million things, how better could someone with mout h do that? If this thing that does not have a hand touched me in a unique, special way that no one has ever done before, what more could my able hands do?If this thing without eyes saw me the way I have always wanted to be seen, how better could these bright eyes of mine see those who are in need of my attention? If this thing without ears heard me like I was never listened to before, what more could these ears of mine do to those people who need people to listen as they confess? If this thing without shoulder happened to offer me a cradle of comfort, what more could this broad shoulder of mine offer those who need some rest? And if this thing without a heart happened to feel me, how can my heart not feel what other people have to express?It is this moment when I finally decided to stop asking why but to start thanking God that for millions of wandering souls we have in this world, I was given the chance to come across this book that opened millions of wonderful and worthwhile possi bilities. And so the confession above justifies the need for me to shift my profession from Mechanical Engineering to Counseling Psychology. These are far apart degrees and, yes, I did not see myself engaging in counseling. No, not even in my wildest dream. But this is not a dream. Yes, I am living in reality and the reality is that this is the vocation of choice.This is where I find myself, my heart. This is where I belong. It is true what the â€Å"magical† book says – that it is from your past where you draw your present. If not for the thousands of rejection, if not for the feeling of inferiority, if not for the lack of self confidence, I do not really think this book would have as much effect on me as it had. What is in counseling that truly entices me? It is not the feeling of recognition. It is not the money behind every consultation. It is not to make a living. It is to live and to let others appreciate how wonderful it is to live. Experience, indeed, is the be st teacher.I know the feeling of being neglected. I experienced lots of it. And this leads me to wanting to help people feel important, feel needed, feel worthy. I know the feeling of losing self worth and so I love to boost people’s confidence in themselves. I love to see people seeing their value as a person and claiming it as theirs. I love to see people loving themselves. But going through all these things, all these aspirations for others required lots of self realization. I had to learn to love myself first. It is true that you cannot share something you do not possess in the first place.How can I share love and confidence when I do not have it myself? I started with loving myself unconditionally, being proud of myself like I have never achieved anything before, and looking myself at the mirror with the courage to say, â€Å"This is me and without me, the world will never be exactly the same again. † When I finally learned to appreciate my own self, that was the time I started to see others in the way they should be seen – no prejudgment, no bias, no unjust feeling. This is where I started to realize the positive side of being self-centered.I took time to stabilize myself and when the time came, accidentally or planned, that I can tell myself I am whole, was the time I can start reaching out to others. Therapeutic relationship with others is where the essence of counseling relies. You have to build that kind of relationship to be able to counsel who are in need of help. When is it therapeutic? When you can ease others’ pain and when you can hear others’ grief without literally saying it. It is when your relationship with people tends to make those people feel relieved of their burden. It is the talent that no book can actually teach.This is the spice of counseling career. The theories behind help, but the counselor’s approach to practice it can never be assured by the theories. Person-centered counseling is when you put the person you are counseling as the central consideration in every word you will say, in every piece of advice you will give, and in every gesture you will show to the patient. The person being counseled would want it done that way. Well, to start with, he seeks counseling to be paid with attention that he wants to get, to get the understanding that no one seems to give him.The counselor should be able to give that. The central purpose is to make the person being counseled feel healed of the burden. As Jennie Rowden once said, â€Å"The best thing about counseling psychology is the face-to-face client work; it’s a real privilege to share in a complex process of change and deeply satisfying on a personal level. But I do so many other interesting things as well as therapy; with the research, supervision and the teaching and training of others, my job is endlessly fascinating and evolving. † And I share this same gratitude towards this vocation.It is more satisfy ing than having solved the most complex mathematical problem and far more complex than having invented a machine that could make the car fly. I am not saying these are fancy things. Let us just say, to each, his own. And this something that I won right now is something I will always be proud of. I claim the right to own it and be proud of it. Looking at my self now, I am far more self-directed than I was at a younger age. It is my responsibility to help others see the light of path and to be able to do that, I know I have to see the light in my own path first.It is a must for counselors to have interest in understanding people’s interaction with others and with the social environment. Understanding people’s perception is also mandatory. These things can be too challenging and too complex and only those are whole-heartedly interested can bear the complexity. Prominent areas needing focus are motivation, thought, attention, sensory, and perception. One of the most import ant things a counselor should never take off the mind is the confidentiality of the story or revelation of his patients.Opening someone’s life to a person who is not even a relative or a friend is never a simple thing. The counselor should keep the trust and confidence of the patient. Sharing one’s life is never easy, especially if what you have to share is something not-so-wonderful. But who ever define what is wonderful and what is not? As I come across this vocation, I realize, appreciation of something starts it all. When you learn to love what you have, you will see you need not have anything else. The chance to touch someone’s life, in a way or so, is one blessing I will not forsake.As I walk down the road, I wish my simple talk can speak of the things the lesser fortunate being would want to hear; my simple touch, I wish, could give them the comfort and shield they need; my simple smile, I pray, could bring them joy and hope that tomorrow is another day. There are people asking me what could have been – if I pursue the Engineering career†¦ As for me, I do not see this as a question needing answer. But then, I answered, â€Å"I do not really know. The only thing I am sure of is that had I not choose this vocation I am currently in, I may not feel this very light spirit in me.It could be that I will deal with problems of people in the world in addition to my own, but that is where the beauty lies. God gave these people challenges to work on, to give people like us opportunity to enlighten and uplift others’ souls. It is never easy but it is always true, always real, always sincere. † Looking myself in the mirror now, I still look the same but I see a completely new individual within. It was a total change – something I love. My past taught me a lot of lessons and although life has never been too kind for me then, the sacrifices that past brought me served as the inspiration in my life today.If not for this sad past, I doubt if I can see my life the way I see it now. Every bitter past, indeed, has sweet beginning if we only welcome the possibilities, if we only keep open arms for all the new changes. Fear is but a natural feeling. But to let oneself be drowned in it is another thing. The line, â€Å"I was left with no choice,† does not apply, I now believe. We are always given choices. The pick is ours. Sometimes we want something yet the apprehension is there and we let the apprehension rule. Realization does not have age limit.There are very young bloods who are very positive with their viewpoint in life. There are people old enough to realize things they should be doing and yet not doing anything. Maturity, indeed, does not come with age. It comes with the exposure in life. It comes with faith. It comes with the mindset brought by home. It comes with everything that happens in our lives if we only see things in right perspective. Each day is a new beginning and in each m orning I wake up, I thank God for the night that passed and pray that for this day, I inspire and counsel a soul.If I will ever change someone’s viewpoint, from dim to positively clear, that is when my day would become worthwhile. That is when I can tell it was never a waste and this day is something I am proud to tell God. In every talk that I do, may it be counseling or casual talk with friends, I know it is not them who learn from me. Talking is always a mutual thing. You learn from one another. No one can tell he knows everything. The same line, when uttered by two different individuals, may mean different. Why? Because it is not solely the words but the feelings and meaning behind the words.That is why talking about the same thing with different people results to a definitely wider perspective. It is not the subject matter, it is the people talking. It is not about the language used, it is the feeling behind every word. It is not length nor it is the brevity of the talk, it is the sincerity behind every statement. It is not important if the words are pronounced correctly or not. What is important is the openness of one another to talk and the willingness to feel and listen. There are, indeed, things no textbook can teach. There are things you can only learn as you get through it.I now know the answer to my questions and the answer is that I had to experience all those to experience what I am experiencing now. That may be the only acceptable answer and I do not really intend to search for more. Life is so simple if we only know how to really live it. Life happens but once. I might have spent many years of it in a not-so-wonderful way but it life does not lead back. It only moves forward. And so I should. No one should really wallow about the misfortunes in life, as there is no such thing. There are instances – some are happy while some are not.But those that are not are not really misfortunes if we are to scrutinize. Those are just Godâ€℠¢s means to prepare us. He does not teach us how to see things. He can only provide us with tests that can help us see things the way He wants us to. Our God is never a spoon-feeding, pampering God. He is a just God who gives comprehensive examinations where we can learn great lessons if we only listen. The world is a very huge venue to learn. This life is a very comprehensive exam to pass. The beauty is when we learn to appreciate the class – when we go to it not because it is mandatory to go to it but because we love to.ConclusionIf anybody would ask me now if I regret giving up my first degree to pursue counseling, I will answer, â€Å"The sad past led me to a wonderful today. Every bit of failure and pain did not really lead me to regretting anything because in each of those, I learned. And in each of those, I grew – not just as a person for myself but as a person for other people. † And now, I no longer find the question, â€Å"What do I live for? † mushy. I can tell, with chin up, I live for others to appreciate their lives. I do not just exist. I live. I continue to learn through others with high hopes and belief that they also learn from me. ?

How to Take Notes in Law School

No matter how much material you think you can retain just by memory, note taking will be one of the most important skills to develop and perfect as you make your way through law school. Good notes will help you keep up during class discussions and will also become crucial when its time to outline and study for final exams. How to Take Notes in Law School: 5 Dos DO choose a method of note taking and stick with it. There are now lots of options for law school note taking from software programs to the good old paper and pen method. Try some out early on in the semester, but decide quickly which one suits your learning style best and then keep going with it. The link section below has some reviews of note taking software if you need a starting point.DO consider preparing your own notes before class. Whether you do the classic case brief or something more free-flowing and whether youre using computer software or handwritten notes, use a different color or entirely different pages to separate class notes from your personal notes. As the semester wears on, you should see the two increasingly converging; if not, youre probably not picking up important concepts and what your professors want  you to focus on, so get thee to office hours!DO write down important concepts, rules of law, and lines of reasoning. These things may be difficult to pinpoint at first, but youll get better at this as your law school years go on.DO take note of recurring themes in your professors lectures. Does he bring public policy into every discussion? Does he painstakingly parse words of statutes? When you find these themes, pay special attention and take particularly copious notes as to how the professors reasoning is flowing; this way you know what questions to prepare for both for lectures and exams.DO review your notes after class to make sure you understand what youve recorded. If something is unclear either conceptually or factually, now is the time to clear it up either with your classmates in a study group or with the professor. Dont Do This When Taking Law School Notes DONT write down everything the professor says verbatim. This holds especially true if youre using a laptop. It can be tempting to transcribe lectures if you have the typing ability, but youll be losing valuable time in which you should be engaging with the material and group discussion. This, after all, is where learning takes place in law school, not simply from memorizing and regurgitating rules and laws. DONT write down what your fellow law students say. Yes, theyre smart and some may even be right, but unless your professor puts her explicit seal of approval on a students contribution to the discussion, its most likely not worth a spot in your notes. You will not be tested on your fellow law students opinions, so theres no sense in recording them for posterity.DONT waste time writing down facts of the case. All the facts you need to discuss a case will be in your casebook. If particular facts are important, highlight, underline, or circle them in your textbook with a note in the margins to remind you why theyre important.DONT be afraid to go back through several days of notes at the same time to try to make connections and fill in gaps. This review process will help you at the time with class discussions and later when youre outlining and studying for exams.DONT forego taking notes because you can get the notes of a classmate. Everyone processes information differently, so you are always going to be the best person to record notes for your future study sessions. Its great to compare notes, but your own notes should always be your primary source for studying. This is why commercial outlines and those prepared by previous law students arent always the most helpful either. Throughout the semester, your professor gives you a map of what the exam will be like throughout the course; it is your job to record it and study it.