by SYAMIMI HUSNA
KUCHING: Sarawak is expected to gain significantly from the state government’s efforts to actively participate in upstream and downstream oil and gas industry activities.
The president of the Sarawak Petroleum Contractors Association (SPECA) Datuk Rahman Lariwoo said that under the administration of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, various progress has been achieved so far.
“All the efforts will pay off. As you can see, the political landscape has changed, and development is becoming more vigorous; hence, the people of Sarawak will definitely benefit from the efforts.
“That is why SPECA always supports all policies introduced by the Sarawak government for the benefit of the state and the community,” he said.
He said this when asked to comment on the benefits obtained by the community through the Sarawak government’s efforts to strengthen the oil and gas industry in the state.
In line with this, he said, more than 100 companies under SPECA are working with Speca Konsortium Sdn Bhd to become a major player in the oil and gas industry in Sarawak.
“With the establishment of this consortium, we hope it can provide an opportunity for SPECA members to be actively involved in the oil and gas industry in Sarawak waters.
“They might become a major player in the oil and gas industry in this state,” he said.
At the same time, he said, local contractors definitely have the opportunity to generate income following Sarawak’s involvement through the management of onshore oil and gas resources by Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) and its investments.
He said the oil and gas industry is running briskly through the construction of the Sarawak Petchem Methanol Plant in Tanjung Kidurong, Bintulu, followed by plans to build another methanol plant in the future and many more.
“We hope that local contractors are ready to seize all these opportunities.
“SPECA wants to see Sarawak have its own supply so that more local companies can be involved in construction and maintenance work,” he said.
Following this, he expressed his hopes that the oil and gas industry in Sarawak will continue to grow and become a major player in the Asian region in the future.
