Oil and Gas Industry

The Taranaki Basin is New Zealand's premier Oil and Gas exploration region with about 11 petroleum mining licenses or permits fields. The production and use of Hydrocarbons in New Zealand only became significant in the 1960s in terms of the country's economy and its fuel needs. A BP 2008 Statistical Energy Survey established that New Zealand consumed an average of 151.03 barrels a day. Over 80% of New Zealand's Oil and Gas comes from the Maui and Kapuni fields. Another BP Statistical Energy Survey of 2007 reported that the country had a natural gas production of 4.01m³ billion and the consumption stood at 3.74 billion cubic metres.

Major industry players include companies such as Shell, NZ Oil and Gas, a wellington based petroleum and mineral exploration company with permits in the Taranaki basin and coking deposits in the Paparoa mountain range; Powerco, 100% public listed company, the second largest gas and electricity company with further operations in Tasmania and Australia, and the Auckland Gas company that provides gas for residential or commercial customers in the Auckland region and is a fervent competitor having been in the market for quite a long time.

The petroleum products industry in New Zealand consists of five companies: British Petroleum (BP), Chevron (marketing as Caltex), Mobil (an affiliate of ExxonMobil), Shell and Gull. BP, Caltex, Mobil and Shell dominate the market and supply a full range of products. Gull has a smaller market share and has limited its participation to petrol and diesel sales. Gull was the first oil company to offer biofuels in New Zealand; a blend of premium petrol (90%) and bio-ethanol (10%) is available at many of its retail outlets. Mobil has now also entered the bio-fuel market in New Zealand. It now offers regular and premium petrol blended with bio-ethanol, and a 5% bio-diesel blend at a few of its retail outlets.

This month, the Economic Development Ministry in New Zealand granted ROC Oil ltd. and its joint venture partners exploration permit PEP52181. Located offshore Taranaki, the permit contains the Kaheru prospect and is on trend with the Rimu Oil and Gas fields and Kauri gas and condensate field. The prospect has 3D seismic coverage and the agreed work program for the five year term includes an exploration well (Kaheru-1) in year three. ROC will operate the 171.5km² permit with other participating interests as ROC Oil (NZ-operated) - 50%; Mighty River Power and Gas Investments- 20%, L&M Energy- 15% and Mosaic Oil NL- 15%.

Birmingham

Birmingham is located in West Midlands in the U.K. It is the second most populous city and is referred as the second city of the U.K. It was the pioneer of the industrial revolution in England and has now developed into a commercial city. It is rated as the second best destination for investment in UK, to set up a business. It is also ranks fourth in the tourism sector and has the second largest economy in the U.K.

The city is linked conveniently via motorways and railways. The International Airport of Birmingham is one of the fastest expanding air bases in Britain. It is also only a 90 minute journey to London via train. Hence, it is very easily accessible. Tourism and sightseeing is a major business in Birmingham. There are many popular tourist destinations here. They include Cadbury World in the Bourneville area, theaters and art centers. Museums such as Soho house and Sutton Park are also popular. There are also plenty of canals to explore in Birmingham and express trains to enjoy.

It has the Bullring shopping complex and House of Fraser and other retail showrooms which are an added attraction. Many tourists visit this city regularly and hence it is a good area for investment and future growth. Industries such as information technology, engineering, automobile manufacturing and telecommunication are prevalent here. Birmingham is also a leader in nanotechnology. World renowned brands such as Cadbury, Goodyear, Dunlop, Trebor Bassett and Deloitte have operations in the city of Birmingham.

The automobile industry in Birmingham deals with full fledged manufacturing plants to design and support companies. Jaguar, the renowned car manufacturer, has a base here. Birmingham has a qualified workforce in this area. Precision engineering is also strength of this city and it has a significant workforce in this area. These sectors offer a lot of promise too. The financial sector is yet another booming sector in Birmingham. It ranks second to London in this arena. Price Water house Cooper has operations in Birmingham. This sector is growing and is a significant contributor to the city's economy. This is thus a good area for foreign investment.

Birmingham has a highly developed telecommunication network in place. It is the leader in Wi-Fi services and also fiber optic networks. The city's telecommunication sector is completely digital and is broadband enabled. Other services such as SDH, MPLS, and ATMs are easily accessible. Businesses can thus have access to all these advanced amenities, making this sector is a great option for investment.

Birmingham's three universities also place importance on research. The Aston Science Park is a world class facility for businesses. The University of Birmingham Research Park has provisions for accommodation to businesses seeking to undertake research with the University. Hence, all research and research-related businesses can invest in these parks and benefit.

In short, Birmingham has a great infrastructure and telecommunication network which is a plus for all businesses. In addition, it has a strong transportation network and accessibility. So we can say that Birmingham is good investment destination in UK. These factors, coupled with the availability of a skilled workforce, make Birmingham a great area for foreign investment.

North Eastern England

The North Eastern England comprises of the Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and the Tees Valley. North Eastern England has an economy that is dominated by the manufacturing, business services and the public sector. Durham County has many opportunities for investments in UK in the real estate sector with its economy beings one of the most dynamic economies in the UK. Major investments in advanced technology have been undertaken in this region with companies servicing an expanded market with technology based products. For County Durham, a permanent indoor market, located just off the market place and its surrounding streets comprise the commercial areas of this city.

The North Eastern England has had over 200 million pounds invested in technologies by companies that work in collaboration with the research centers in Universities to produce knowledge based products. For Durham county, chemical and health care industries have played a key role in its continued development. However, other industries such as Automotive, electronics and animation are as well growing remarkably. The city has subsequently become an investment magnet in the real sector given the number of people that travel to study and work here. The property markets are flourishing with the added need for housing to meet the industrial and company workers that work in the region.

The North Eastern England has favorable economic policies that encourage investments in this region. Its key economic sectors include world leading engineering industries and dynamic new fields such as low carbon electric vehicles and renewable energy. The region is one of the main automotive manufacturers and leads Europe with the highest number of Chemical manufacturers. Chemical manufacturing is done in advanced biofuel and advanced technology plants. The continued research in printable electronics and nanotechnology and bioscience is expected to make the regions emerging economy felt in the global scene. The creative industries in the region are as an emerging one and quite promising with an employment rate that tops 11,000.

In a nutshell, the north east England economy is dynamic due to massive investments in new generation advanced technologies. Its key manufacturing sectors continue to produce quality research and knowledge baaed products that have exploited the available technologies to advance. The centers of excellence in this region have been crucial in the creation of breakthrough technologies. However, funding for the key sectors has been availed through venture capital and grants to ensure continued growth of the states economy.

Hong Kong Company

Hong Kong provides entrepreneurs a number of options as to what kind of company to set up in Hong Kong. Liberal government laws make it the offshore destination of choice when it comes to company registration. Most entrepreneurs prefer to set up a Hong Kong company as a Limited company for the following reasons.

Limited companies

Limited companies are companies that shoulder limited liabilities from a legal standpoint. The liabilities of the shareholders and proprietors are limited to the value of the shares they hold. This means during a legal tussle, the proprietor or shareholders can only stand to lose the nominal value of their shareholdings. The director or shareholders do not bare any personal liability to the debts of the company whatsoever.

In non limited companies the liabilities of the investors is not limited to their investment in the company. The shareholders are directly responsible for the creditors' losses and are required to repay the debt their company has caused to its creditors.

Conditions to register a limited company

The law allows for a company to be set up by one or more persons; furthermore one single legal or natural entity can act as a shareholder, a director, a proprietor, an investor and also a company secretary simultaneously. There are no restrictions to the nationality of the secretary involved; however it is required that he or she must be a resident. There are no restrictions on the domicile or nationality of the other members involved.

A company's executive body is made up of its board of directors who are responsible for the daily functions, supervision of documentation and audits, and deciding and implementing the future course of action for the company in the AGM - Annual General Meeting. As per Hong Kong law an AGM must be held at least once a year; there is also a regulation that there cannot be a gap of more than 18 months between consequent AGM's.

An alternate route to set up a Hong Kong company

If you, as an investor, wish to set up a company in a hurry and cannot afford to wait to complete the normal start-up procedure, there is the option of acquiring a readymade shelf company. Shelf companies are companies that have not commenced any sort or form of business and have no economic presence in the market; such companies have no liabilities or debts at the time of purchase. Shelf companies are set up as per Hong Kong laws and are registered with The Registrar of Companies and have already attained a Certificate of Incorporation. The cost to purchase a shelf company is almost comparable with that of the cost to start up and register your own company in Hong Kong. The company must then obtain a permit from the Business Registration Office to engage in commercial activities.

It is more expensive to set up a Hong Kong company of a limited nature as compared to non-limited companies, however the benefits of a limited company make it the obvious choice for an offshore business.

Singapore Company

Singapore is progressively becoming a lucrative market for foreign businesses. It is quite easy to set up a Singapore offshore company, or an offshore company in other jurisdictions, provided the rules and regulations of that country are properly followed. Setting up a Singapore company is comparatively easy; without too many hassles, due to the investor-friendly legislation of Singapore government. Still, some of the basic rules that apply to setting up of an offshore company are valid for Singapore. The most important among them are compliance with the Anti Money Laundering legislation and the laws enforced to prevent terrorism. For these purposes, all the new business entities desiring to establish a company in Singapore or elsewhere have to provide three main particulars. They are clear proof of identity of the company, its directors and other shareholders, verifiable proof of present registered address of the company and the residential addresses of the directors and the main reason, known as 'reason d'etre', for establishing the company in Singapore.

Visiting Singapore

The first step to embark on, to set up a Singapore company is to visit Singapore in order to start the registration formalities. An open and efficient immigration system ensures that your visa is hassle free. An application at the ICA - Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will have you on your way to applying for your visa.

Registration Process

In order to set up a Singapore company you would need to engage a professional company secretary, a registration agent, and a law cum accounting firm to assist you in the registration process. However, hiring a corporate services firm can manage all these processes so you can be rest assured that your start-up procedure will be efficient, well organized and in adherence to the Singapore rules and regulations.

Your company must be registered with ACRA - the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Any professional registration firm will be able to guide you through this process. If you have hired one, a company secretary will also be in a position to assist you in registering and finding a location for your business. A quality corporate services firm will also be able to provide virtual office services for your new Singapore company. An Entrepreneur can set up a Singapore company by registering their company as a sole proprietor, a limited liability partnership, a limited partnership, a partnership, or an incorporated company in Singapore.

Staffing

Employment visas for Singapore must be obtained via the MOM - Ministry of Manpower. There are different options, including an Employment Pass (EP) for employees, and for company owners there is an Entry Pass Scheme. Once you have the mandates in place, you can now start hiring a workforce as per your requirements. Professional staffing and recruitment firms in Singapore are plenty in number and include the large well-respected international firms.

Aerospace

Aerospace companies in the UK have a long history of being a leading aviation industry in Europe. Aerospace companies in the UK are competitors in all niches of aircraft manufacturing. There are lots of invest UK opportunities in the Aerospace sector. The industry tops second world wide in terms of employment creation and attracts highly skilled people. Despite the global recession, the industry performed quite remarkably showing little signs of its effects as companies saw through their long term contracts and development projects. Its remarkable performance records for international joint ventures such as the Airbus conglomerate on civil aircrafts and other military programs with the US have seen it prosper.

Aerospace sector has experienced a boost recently from the sale of the UK manufactured Rolls Royce engines to major aircraft manufacturers in the world. In addition, UK supplies of aircraft hardware have been outsourced by the manufacturers for their other engine making programs. The North West Aerospace Alliance has been at the forefront of the UK aerospace growth and development. Most companies in the aerospace sector have invested part of their business in the UK and have greatly benefited from the UK Trade and investments. There are over 3400 aerospace companies in the UK out of which 750 are based in the South East.

The UK aerospace industry is second to the US' with a highly developed defense sector that tops about 20 billion pounds in turnover and new orders totaling 26 billion. The involvement of the UK aerospace industry in major global programs has rendered the industry a global competitor with about 60% of the A380 Airliner being manufactured here. Investors in this industry have developed it into a global leader in systems design, integration, electronics avionics, advanced structure and others. This has subsequently seen the UK rise as a major air transport hub with advanced technologies made in the UK being used worldwide.

Investors in the aerospace industry have access to a large market thanks to the UK's hold of a bigger percentage in terms of sales and production of Aerospace technology. It accounts for 23 percent of the European market by value. Invest in UK in Aerospace industry is helped by employments of a workforce of about 271,000 people with 16% working in the south East. The North West of UK is a thriving location for investments in the Aerospace industry attracting about 10 of major US Aircraft manufacturers. It accounts for over a third of the UK's output in this industry.

International Freight Carriers

The present business scenario has witnessed expansion of business operations to attract customers from different parts of the globe. This has caused an improvement in organizations shipping goods to the remotest corners of the world. Therefore, increase in international shipping has resulted in higher demand for International Freight Carriers.

International freight shipping describes shipping by sea and air to other countries of the world. Therefore, the freight carriers are responsible for shipment of cargo and products to international destinations. For international transportation of freight, special planes allocated to shipping cargo are utilized. In case the cargo is excessively big or bulky for a cargo plane, then a cargo ship can be used for transportation. At times, a plane might not be allowed to carry a specific type of cargo. In such situations, transport ships are used. However, it may not be a useful alternative if one needs to meet delivery deadlines.

International freight carriers are engaged in import and export of materials and goods from different countries. Generally, international shipments involve several carriers that consist of air freight agents and freight forwarders. Moreover, they also handle legal requirements for import and export of goods to other nations. Likewise, International airfreight agents are engaged in export and import of cargo through airplanes, especially cargo plane. These agents charge a fee from airline companies to arrange for international shipments. The tasks involved include arrangement of out bound and inbound shipments, receipt of payment from clients, preparation for shipments which include making arrangements for cargo-measurement and space-weighing, assembly of appropriate documents, loading as well as unloading of cargo at its destinations.

International freight carriers are capable of transporting various kinds of cargo or focus on specific items like farm machinery. Moreover, carriers also need to ensure that the goods banned in a particular country are not transported to that country. Majority of International airfreight carriers would offer discounts on a specific volume of cargo that is being shipped. International freight shipping is a complex process that needs a well-organized system of people engaged in ensuring safe arrival of items. Therefore, such airfreight carriers make international expansion of a business much easier.