Enjoying Being Independent Business Lawyer

• I can set up my own definition as to becoming success which is really unconventional and non-traditional  by setting up my own definition of being success, among others by gaining more flexible time depending on my own set of rules as to where and at what time I wanted to do my work.This concept of paradigm is pursuant to the Book which I am now reading called Career Success without a Real Job written by Ernie J.Zelenski

I managed to be more independent by having my own Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is an Independent Law Firm now called  Suleiman Agung & Co ( SACO LAW FIRM); 

• After having been for more than 13 & a half  Years experiencing running this Law Firm, I realize that it really depends on our-self willingness and choice as to what do you want and prefer to be concentrating and focusing on your Career Success, which definition  of Success is being freely  set- up and design by you your self and no other person. 
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• You are the only person who really knows what type of career path that you wanted to establish and venture in this life; Besides working you must also have "time" to  enjoy your life and being alive in this world; You have to venture and sometimes make certain experimental moves in your life;

• In order to optimize your professional ideas in your field of professional you must really enjoy what you are doing and not because of being forced by others  perception in electing the life style that you really like;

The important and significant element that you have to do is that You must establish your hours of experience and track records  in serving your Clients which will certain be the Valuable Assets that you like to focus and sell as your expertise to your Clients;

• You must seek the ways as how you can grab the  opportunities  to demonstrate your expertise which you master and are in  confidence with, which will  benefit and be an  advantage as an Added Value to your Client's business goals and objectives;

From my self experience in developing my so called Professional Career, I noticed that this can be achieved by each and everyone  of  us,  if you are having the freedom to set up your own established  flexible time and place which you allocate,  to learn  the merits and core of your Clients business transactions;

• You have to focus with your best effort for example to make certain Brief Executive summary through a Scheme and a systematic bullet points at the right time and moment  which could help Giving Snapshots and Quick Glance of the Important Issues that your Client has to be aware of, because time is of the essence to make the right and proper business decision;

Well the above are some of the tips that I would like to share with you in the beginning of this Year of 2012, and I wish you a very Happy New Year 2012, New Hope, New Venture, New Spirit, New Venture

Jakarta 2 January 2012
Agung S.Suleiman 

EXITING EXPERIENCED INDONESIAN OIL LAWYER

Your Ad Here

Being experienced as Business Lawyer  in the Oil Ventures in Indonesia is really quite an exiting experience. The difference being experienced as lawyer for Indonesian Local Oil Companies who is surviving and struggling to survive and being  lawyer serving legal services for Big Oil Foreign Companies is relating to the funding capability  in their Oil Business Venture.

•   Even though we are in Indonesia, Indonesian Oil Companies who are operating in Indonesia starting from Exploration can be counted. Usually Indonesian Oil Companies who started venturing in the Oil Business in Indonesia started by acquiring ex-Oil Blogs, which had been sold by the Foreign Oil Companies which are already in the Exploitation and Producing stage.  By doing this the Indonesian Oil Companies can manage to show to the bankers that they have cash-in from the selling of the Crude oil for a certain period of time . 

There is also an Indonesian Oil Company who started in the Oil Ventures in Indonesia, after they had   experience running a Drilling Company, where they have already owned certain numbers of Rigs as well as cash in revenues which can be used as collateral for the repayment of their  loans to their Banks. This Oil Company was also formerly at the early stage Managed and Chaired by an Indonesian Expert Oil Top Leader namely John S Karamoy  who had experienced in running big Foreign Oil Company such as Stanvac  and Vico Indonesia,  who is now the founder of JME which my SACO Law Firm is presently in association with.

• I am lucky enough to be experienced as an Indonesian Oil Lawyer who had assisted and were also being involved in reviewing the Sales Purchase Contracts of this ex Foreign Oil Blog acquired by said Indonesia Oil Company, when I founded and set up my Suleiman Agung & CO ( SACO Law Firm).  

Several contracts and transaction were prepared, which includes reviewing the Sale Purchase Stocks, Farm in and Farm Out, Joint Operating Agreement ( JOA), Legal Due Diligence, providing Legal Opinion. There are also Indonesian Oil Companies who are selling out certain percentage part their of their Participant Interests to other Oil Investors in order to remedy and balance their cash flows.      

• In the oil business practices, if the Oil are still in below the ground however located already in the proven and exploitation stage, 1 (one) barrel  is usually valued to be USD1 dollar. If such oil is still located in the exploration stage however is located near by the structure of the exploitation stage shall be valued 30 cents United States Dollars. 

For the purpose of calculating the expected oil reserved,  a study is usually conducted by several expertise consultant to predict the volume of Crude Oil Reserves or Deposits  in a certain Oil Contract Area. This is usually detected by the Oil Reservoir Engineers and Geologist team. Accordingly, the Investors in the Oil Business have to be supported by these expertise engineers and chaired and Lead by the Expert Leader Management of such Oil Company. 

• Such team have to be solid and having real experience in their fields combined with the operation team members as well as the Finance and Legal Expertise to team up such Solid Working Team. One of the significant element is that somebody has to be recognized by the Bankers or Financial Institutions who financed such Oil Ventures which is usually performed through the Holding Companies, but the Oil Company has to be headed by a Certain Expert Management Leader who is already recognized by said Bankers through his track records of his capability and ability to manage and make the Oil Business Operations succeed  in generating Cash-In,  through sustainable production and selling such Crude Oil to the Buyers in a commercial and bankable cash in for a certain period of time. 

In practice, members of the Participant  Interest Holder,  is usually more than one Company, which one of the member of the Investors must also have some self funding sources to back up the financing of the Oil Ventures in addition to the Funding from the Bankers, because in the early stage of the exploitation and producing, several new exploration wells within the Oil Block under the Contract Area of such PSC Contracts with BPMIGAS,  must also still be  founded  and drilled to be further developed for producing to maintain the sustain producing,  lifting and selling of the Crude Oil for the cash in.....      

Jakarta 29 October 2011 - Agung S.Suleiman Partner of  SACO LAW FIRM  
                                                                          in association with   JME

   

Professional Business Lawyer

There are many challenges faced by a Professional Business Lawyers; Before you can advise your Clients you have to be sure that you know what you are talking; Your integrity and professional  reputation is on stack;  As an Indonesian Business Lawyer who had practiced more than 30 Years since 1979 - 1980, you realized that you firstly have to trust your self before you make any legal advise; It is not a matter of pride but more of a professional, where quality is more important than quantity;    

Having been in the real practice as Business Lawyer for more than 30 Years, you tend to love your professional work;   It is really exiting in handling legal aspects in a business community; The art of being independent in providing your legal advice needs some experience of real practice and down to earth matters;   

You have to master and increase your legal knowledge and broaden your mind; You have to research all the legal aspects from various angles of the matter surrounding the business matters of your Client; You must also be aware on the sensitivity of the business goals of your Client; At the same time Good Corporate Governance must be the basis of your target to achieve your integrity and professional character;

You have to be ready to be challenged by your Client, to the legal opinion that you provide and must really digest  the wishes and desires that your Client want to achieve;

You are the master of your mind in providing  your legal opinion;  You have to lead your Client  in your legal professional guide,  after you have really studied the rules,  policies, and master the nature of the contracts and  transactions to guard the business goals desired to be achieved by  your Client; 

Those are some of the tips to be considered and observed by a Business Professional Lawyer in dealing with matters face by your Clients;

Jakarta, August 27, 2011

Agung S.Suleiman 

Quite a While

Yes, it has been quite a while that I was not on the air in writing article in this Blog;  Apparently, I was really busy with the legal works in facing the implementation of the Commercial Production of an oil Area in Indonesia, where we have to strive hard in completing all the facilities production which includes the Gathering Storage Tank of the Crude oil from the Commercial Field  to be transported either by Pipeline, or trucks to the Gathering or Storage Tank at the Terminal Port  to be further shipped to the Tanker or Barge;  

    It is really interesting and quite challenging because under the Indonesian system, there are instances where the Idle Oil Production Facilities can be shared by other Oil Companies, where no profit basis is applied, and sharing costs of the Capital Expenses and Operation Expenses, shall be shared, through the oil throughput arrangements, relating to the sharing usage of such Production Facilities;

As a Business Lawyer you are involved in the legal aspects of this arrangements, where we have to be part of the team in drafting and finalizing this Oil Production Facilities Sharing Agreements.      

Well the operations and commercial professionals staffs must also be involved in completing these production sharing facilities arrangements;    

The target goal of the Oil Production Stream to enable in selling the Crude Oil is most challenging and the Financial aspects are really critical and plays an important role;   

Jakarta, 18 August 2011
Ags 

The History of Mining Act in Indonesia

From some sources of books  written  by  Indonesian writer concerning The History of Mining Act in Indonesia,  we understand that in  1899 : The (East) Indies Mining Act was passed which laid  down the ground rules under which mining operations, including those by private concerns might be conducted.

• One of the basic principle which was laid down in the Indische Minjwet of 1899  was that rights over land (Surface rights) is separated from the rights over the Mineral resources, these being vest to the the Governor

Prospecting for minerals was controlled by licenses issued by the Bureau of Mines or the Provincial administrations, and mining concessions were granted on application by the Governor General.

During these period, prospecting Licenses & Concessions could only be granted to  : Dutch Subjects, residents of the Netherlands Indies, and to Companies registered in the Netherlands or the Indies.

• In 1904 :   An Amendment was passed which froze the granting of concessions in an attempt to keep out new firms.

In 1918 : a New Amendment was passed under which the granting of new concession were resumed, which provides  more favorable terms to the Government.

Under the pre - 1904 concession contracts concessions were granted for a term of 75 years with the Government receiving a percentage of any oil produced plus a fixed price per acre of the concession area. 

We observed that under the concession contracts made after the 1918 amendment the concessionaire was required to pay the Netherland East Indies :

• 4% excise on the value of crude shipped,
• a 20% tax on oil profits, and
• a general tax on corporate profits of 20%.

According to the writer, these provisions was similar to the provisions in Middle East concession contracts on the same period.

by 1940 : 5 International companies was active in Indonesia. :

1912 : the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey began operations in Indonesia, latter merging operations with Mobil to form Stanvac.

In the 1930’s Standard Oil of California entered the scene, latter merging with Texaco to form Caltex.

In this book it is said that together with the Royal Dutch/Shell Company which at that time was the largest producers in Indonesia, these major companies was known as the Big Three..

In 1942, when the Japanese occupied Indonesia, the Indische Minwet of 1899 was rendered in operative, and in anticipation,  it appears that  the Dutch destroyed many of their oil facilities.

•  When the Japanese entered Indonesia, they put the oil operations under the regional military command and tried to rehabilitate the fields and oil facilities. With the Dutch gone, the Japanese forced to rely on experience Indonesian for help - a fact which strengthened Indonesian’ s confidence in their own ability to run the oil industry.

After the Japanese surrendered and the Indonesian declared its  independence in 1945 , and after taking  4(four) years  of war, a final agreement  was reached at the Round Table Conference in the Hague, which transfered the Netherlands East Indies(with exception of West Irian) to the Federal Republic of Indonesia.

In 1951 : The Indonesian Parlement passed a motion to create a commission to inquire in the problems of Oil & Mining Law, which urged the Government to form within 1 month a State Commission of Mining Affairs.

a) investigating asap problems of oil extraction, & of tin, coal, gold, silver & other mining In Indonesia.

b) Drafting an Indonesian Mining Law in harmony with present conditions.

c) Urges the Government to postpone all granting of concession & exploitation permits, pending the results of the work of the State Commission on Mining Affairs.

The Commission took 5 years to submit its Draft to the parliament.

• Not until 1960 did the Parliament adopt a New Mining Law (Law no 37/Prp 1960) and Oil and Gas Law (Law No.44/Prp 1960) both promulgated in the form of Emergence Acts to replace the 1988 Mining Law of the East Indies.

The New Statutes not only retained the State‘s Exclusive right to Mineral Resources contained in the colonial legislation but further make it more stronger  it by stipulating that * Only State is authorized to exploit the Mineral resources.

• The Ideas of Concessions, i.e. , the Grant by the State to a private party of rights to develop Mineral Resources in a certain area of Land  was abandoned. INDONESIA - Indonesian Exports, Marketing & Pricing.: An article from: APS Review Oil Market Trends

Only the State, as the custodian of the Indonesian people, or on its behalf  a state enterprise can have Mining Rights called an “ Authority to Mine” or Mining Authorization.”

Well, these are some interesting back grounds which was taken from the above interesting book;    

Natural Resources Created By The Creator

If you are allowed by the AL  MIGHTY to stay ==>  in this World  for quite a while, at a certain stage of your life Cycle  you will  realize that your life journey also rotates similarly  as :

• sun and and moon, day and night, 
• hungry, eat, full stomach, hungry, start eating again, full stomach, 
• you earn money, you spent your money, you are out of cash, start working  hard again, your earn money, you spent money  etc. 
• ups and down 
• like a merry go round; 
• spinning around 

If you happen to be a Muslim Believer, you can found this Rotation Fenomena  in the Holly Book        Al Quran, where it actually shows  the Sign of the Greatness, the Merciful of ALLAH the AL Mighty;

• The Important and significant thing is that  you start realizing  that ALLAH The Al Mighty has created this World  with all the Natural Resources distributed and scattered around the world  ready to be searched, find out, explored, mining out  it out, exploited, developed, transported, stored and sell  for the benefit of all mankind.  
• This process of Awareness of knowing our Creator : ALLAH is also following the ups and down rythm, where you have to maintain it on the up level by continously listening to the words of ALLAH  from the Al Quran and testing its reality in the Real World of your Real Day to day life; . 
  

Well, my life experienced as a Business Lawyer makes me becoming interested in looking and observing the Nature of the Hard Minerals such : as Copper, Iron Ore, Gold, Diamond, Bentonite, and Hydro carbon (Oil and Gas); 

• Gold is Valuable in its price ; 
• Diamond is the strongest Minerals if you want to crush with other Minerals, which therefore is  being used in the Drilling Bit,  known among others as Diamond Shamrock  Drilling Bit,  where the price of such Diamond Drilling Bit is equal to 2( two) new Brand Mercedes Car
• Benton  "cannot be melted down"  even in a very High Degree Temperature Plant and thus is used as to Shape other Minerals  in a High Boiling Temperature  Plant;        

The ALL Mighty has granted the Indonesian Archipelago  with full of Natural Resources; 

It is not human being who planted and created this Natural Resources regardless of their nationality; The human being are only being given Brain with  its built in Mind, capacity,  Soul, and Heart, instinct, willingness to search these Natural Resources by conducting General Survey, with Knowledge, Science,  and Capital Engineering, Infrastructure.

• Further this Human Being has to explore these Natural Resources  by conducting Seismic line services  in several appointed Coordinates, by first clearing the Surface Land from trees or houses ; and than planting the dynamite to be blown, where the sounds are detected ind captured  in the Seismographic instruments which will than be shown in a graphic picture showing the prospective contents of what is in the structure below the ground.   

If there are Mineral Resources determined to be commercial developed, these Human Being start developing  the production facilities from pipeline, station gathering, separation instruments to separate the  Oil from the water and sulfur if it is Hydrocarbon, and if it is Hard Minerals such as Coal to split the Coal from the Water, Sulfur, Ash; with the Technical Instruments developed by the Human Being using their Brain, and Mind; and develop the Coal Plant.

As a Business Lawyer in reviewing the Mineral Contracts, Cooperation Agreement between the relaeant Parties, the  Sales Coal Contract,  we have to understand the Nature of this  Mineral Business in order to be able to accommodate the willingness and desires of  the Business Players /Investors who are your Client in giving legal advice and drafting or reviewing the Purchase Sales Coal Contracts or if you are requested to conduct Legal Due Diligence if your Client is interested to acquire share of the Company who is operating a Mining Activities either Coal, Iron Ore or Magnesium. 

• It is really enjoying if you love your professional work and if you happen to search the real meaning of life and start questioning why are we dropped in this World and who had created these Huge World together with all what is contain  below  the Ground  which includes those Natural Resources which can really be useful to increase the Quality of Mankind. 
• Well, these are my thoughts  this morning when I walked up from my bed and start writing what is in my mind in this Blog of mine;Cheers and Good Luck and success
• Jakarta, April 17, 2011 Agung S.Suleiman 

IPM DRILLING

It is really interesting in discussing contracts aspects in the IPM Drilling. Well  if your Company is relatively small in terms of manpower within the Oil and Gas Explorations in Indonesia, you might as well thing of engaging IPM Drilling, since your do not have to tender 10 x for the Services relating to Drilling your Explorations or Producing Wells by just tender One IPM Drilling which is an Integrated Management Drilling

This  Drilling Services consists of Drilling Services itself, and shall than includes the Mud Services, Cementing Services, 

• Drilling Rig
• Logging Unit
• Cementing Unit
• Casing/Tubulars.
• Mud Engineering
• Waste  drilling  disposal
• Testing
• Transportation
• Fishing
• Directional Drilling/ Horiziontal
• Land – Heavy Equipment for road Constructions

Every Company who are specializing will be asked to supply the Materials. 

In this IPM Drilling – the Oil Company – Out sources all the Services relating to the Drilling activities  –  The Concept is Let the Contractor do it,  they  just  shift  the  Cost,  So  they  don not have to do  tender  process several times.

Thus the Oil and Gas Companies, can skip the procedure doing many tenders with many vendors 

Either  the Oil Company or the Drilling IPM Contractor  will design the Drilling  Program. If  The Drilling Contract Design this Drilling Program,  the Design Cost will be included in their Lump Sump Turnkey Project.. There is a 100% Turn Key project or Semi Turn Key.

The Drilling Contractor shall lead the Drilling Operations. If the Oil Company has got many manpower, they usually manage the Drilling activities. The Oil Company will engage several Companies : the Drillling Company, The Mud Contractor, Wireline Logging, Perforating, Fishing. 

But now a days the Drilling Companies shall do the Management of the Drilling several activities. 

This Drilling Company shall own or lease the Drilling Rig.  The Drilling Contractor shall enggage and manage all the relevant Supporting services such as the Cementing, Mudlogging, Casing-Tubing, Wireline Logging. Thus The Oil Company does not be worried how to manage such drilling other services activities. So this is a Turnkey P

Well as a Business Oil and Gas Operational Lawyer,  you may be engaged in Drafting the IPM Drilling Contracts or you may also end up in assisting the Drilling Company in establishing the Drilling Companies. There are many interesting Legal Aspects in these venture. There are several questions that you have to raise. Is the Drilling Company has to be a PT Local Company or can there be a Foreign PT PMA Drilling Company engaged in the Drilling activities. Thus there is the Company Act Law issues, If the Shareholders of the Drilling Company consist of a PT PMA Foreign Company, is the Drilling Company automatically become an Foreign PMA Company. 
These question has to be research with the BKPM, as well as the Director of Oil and Gas and BPMIGAS institutions. What Licenses are required to conduct such IPM Drilling Activities. 

How about the BKPM (Foreign Investment Coordination Body) facilities for the equipment that are being imported from outside of Indonesia; Can this Drilling Company be granted such Facilities  by BKPM or can they just use the Oil Companies' Facilities which are given such facilities under the PSC.

Well those are part of the interesting Issues that the Business Lawyer in the Oil and Gas activities have to check and dig out in assisting their Clients                  

Cheers
Agung S.Suleiman
Independent Business Lawyer  
 Jakarta, 2 April 2011