US rig count - 885

HOUSTON (AP) — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by eight this week to 885.

A year ago, only 406 rigs were active amid a slump in energy prices.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday that 712 rigs sought oil and 172 explored for natural gas this week. One was listed as miscellaneous.

Texas added eight rigs while Colorado, North Dakota, Ohio and Wyoming each added one.

Oklahoma declined by two rigs while Alaska and New Mexico each lost one.

Arkansas, California, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia were unchanged.

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out last May at 404.

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Related stocks: Keppel Corp, Sembcorp Marine & Cosco.

Noble financial concerns will affect DBS if Noble goes belly up.

http://sg-stock.blogspot.my/2017/05/noble-is-in-serious-financial-trouble.html

Besides Oil & Gas, the commodity industry will affect DBS.

Singapore stock calls for 12 May 2017

Noble is in a serious financial trouble now.

https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-05-11/noble-group-fails-the-micawber-test?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=bd&utm_campaign=headline&cmpId=yhoo.headline&yptr=yahoo

A company will survive if it is still producing positive cash flows despite negative profits.  However, a company won't make it when it's producing negative cash flows with positive profits.  Many profitable companies collapsed because of negative cash flows.  Warren Buffett prefers positive cash flow than positive profit.

Noble has a double whammy because it has a debt load which it can't handle and it's producing a negative cash flow.

How are packages sorted in China warehouse?

Truly amazing!

New sea-rail link between China and Singapore is fishy.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0510/c90000-9213546.html

There is something fishy about this new sea-rail link.  China can transport goods to Europe directly now with its railway.  Therefore, it doesn't make sense for China to transport goods to Europe via Singapore.  China can also ship its goods to South Africa via Myanmar or Pakistan port directly because its railways are connected to these 2 countries.  Likewise, China can ship its goods to USA directly too.  I really don't understand the rationale for this new sea-rail link as China can bypass Singapore with shorter shipping days.

Did China have a change of heart and decide to treat Singapore better?  I hope for the best outcome but remain cautious about this new sea-rail link.

Wow! China has automated its Shandong port.

China is really going high technology in many industries.  Truly amazing!

Singapore stock calls for 11 May 2017

China has successfully tested its anti-THAAD missile.

http://www.bestchinanews.com/Military/6661.html

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2093711/chinas-missile-tests-bohai-aimed-thaad-south-korea

The new missile EVADF-26b is aimed at THAAD radar because THAAD radar has super high radiation during operations.  SK will be a target if it doesn't get rid of THAAD.

New South Korean President is pro-peace.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0510/c90000-9213354.html

Hopefully, this new SK president can defuse the tension and make peace with China and NK.  THAAD is definitely something China & NK don't like.

Malaysia is at a crossroad now.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/malaysia/2017/05/08/496915/p3/Chinese-dealings.htm

Like it or not, China will be a domineering force in ASEAN and China has fostered strong relationships with Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia which are very near to Malaysia.

If Malaysia doesn't want to deal with China, it will lose its strategic importance for China and also lose China's investments.  China will invest heavily in any country which is of strategic importance to China.  We just need to look at Myanmar and Cambodia where China is building ports and infrastructures in these countries.  As for Laos, China will be turning Laos into a transhipment hub as it is nicely snap-in among a few countries.

Malaysia will lose heavily if China starts to build port in Thailand or the Kra canal.  China can put the Kra canal project on hold as long as Malaysia continues to welcome China's investments because China wants to use Malaysia to contain Singapore.

China will take control of Myanmar port.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-silkroad-myanmar-port-exclusive-idUSKBN1811DF

This deal is not as simple as it looks.

The truth is China gave up its myitsone dam project in exchange for this port control because the port is of strategic importance to China.

Myanmar faced tremendous pressure by locals who resisted the dam construction.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/world/asia/myanmar-china-myitsone-dam-project.html

If Myanmar cancelled the dam project, it would have to pay a penalty of USD$800m which Myanmar couldn't afford.  Therefore, instead of asking Myanmar to pay the penalty, China preferred to take control of the port and pay Myanmar for the controlling stakes.  This strategic move will cost China about USD$10b in total.  When China deems something as strategic important, it is willing to pay for it.

http://www.waterpolitics.com/2017/04/19/the-thirsty-dragon-china-ostensibly-cancels-myitsone-dam-project-in-myanmar-in-favour-of-access-to-kyaukpyu-port/

China ports which are near to Singapore.

Phnom Penh Port in Cambodia (East of Singapore)

http://sg-stock.blogspot.sg/2016/11/china-cambodia-port-is-going-to-start.html

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d55444f32557a4d/share_p.html

Malacca Port (North of Singapore)

Myanmar Port (West of Singapore)

Pakistan Port (Further west of Singapore)

All these ports are linked by the one-belt-one-road initiatives (Railways) and China can totally bypass Singapore because it can upload and download goods from the eastern, northern and western of Singapore without going through Singapore.  We may not feel the impacts now but our future generations will feel the great impacts and they'll have to pay dearly for our current political positions.

OMG! Taiwan is going to drag Singapore into its fight against China.

http://www.intellasia.net/taiwans-pivot-south-on-track-says-tsai-592740

What a devious woman!

Taiwan is trying to drag Singapore into its fight against China.  Singapore is not a pawn and we must not let ourselves be used by Taiwan for its own selfish political gain.

We cannot give more reasons for China to whip Singapore.  China is adamant to reduce the strategic importance of Singapore's port by developing its own worldwide port networks so that its goods won't pass by Singapore.  Why? This is because SG is helping USA to contain China by providing USA a naval base in SG so that we can seal off strait of Malacca during war time.

https://ig.ft.com/sites/china-ports/

China's crude oil doesn't need to pass through Singapore anymore in April 2017.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2086837/myanmar-pipeline-gives-china-faster-supply-oil-middle-east

This pipeline is able to move 22m tonnes of oil per year and SG is not able to earn a cent out of it.

China is also going to build a gas pipeline in Myanmar and SG will also be out of the picture.

Singapore stock calls for 9 May 2017

Nomura is an unscrupulous company.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-08/ex-nomura-trio-taught-junior-bond-traders-to-lie-u-s-alleges

Be careful when you use Nomura services.  The employees will lie to you just to get your business in their own interests and not in your interest.

Chilean navy captured UFO on cam.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/groundbreaking-ufo-video-just-released-from-chilean_us_586d37bce4b014e7c72ee56b

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4095314/It-s-verified-UFO-Chile-release-footage-mystery-object-flying-navy-helicopter-two-year-investigation-fails-explain-it.html

Nobody could explain this flying craft.

North Korea Kim accused CIA of trying to assassinate him.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-usa-idUKKBN181142

I'm confident that CIA is capable of doing that.  However, this might be just a false allegation by Kim.

It's hard to know who's telling the truth now.

Who was Singapore's first elected President? - Part 2.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/tan-cheng-bock-files-court-challenge-term-count-elected-presidency-115325926.html

Finally! Someone is standing up to seek the truth when no Singaporean cares about it.  An elected president should be a presidential candidate who won with a majority vote count in an open election and not someone who was appointed but exercised presidential power.

Our first elected president will always be Ong Teng Cheong, not Wee Kim Wee.  The national library archive is correct.

http://sg-stock.blogspot.sg/2017/02/who-was-singapore-first-elected.html

Yuuzoo's auditor quitted because of financial concern.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/yuuzoo-says-audit-delay-due-to-intense-interaction-with-auditor

This is definitely a warning sign for more troubles to come as perceived valuation of Yuuzoo's franchisee's shares can evaporate like a whiff of smoke.  Yuuzoo should be more upfront on the rationale and methodology used to value the shares and the concern raised by the auditor.  Why did the auditor disagree with the valuation?  Equities received in place of receivables meant that its franchisee was not doing well and couldn't pay the money owed.  Therefore, there must be massive writedown of the shares to be used to replace the debt owed to Yuuzoo as the on-going concern was hard to assess.