KOTA KINABALU, June 28 — The Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC) and E.A Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd (Gibson) signed a memorandum of understanding today aimed at supporting the state’s oil and gas industry.
The collaboration will include the construction of a purpose-built jetty, onshore hydrocarbon storage terminals, a custom-designed floating powerplant, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation and LNG shuttle vessels.
A feasibility study for the proposed project should be completed by middle of the month and planned construction is expected to be completed within three years, SOGDC chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said.
He also said the project will enhance the oil and gas facilities at Sabah’s south-western Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (Sogip) with storage facilities for the industry.
“We aim to include local players and experts in the construction, creating an estimated 1,600 job opportunities for Sabahans during the construction phase, which will have a positive economic and social impact on the people of Sabah,” said Abdul Rahman.
“With an estimated initial trade volume of two million metric tonnes of LNG per annum, 600,000 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) per annum, 150,000 tonnes of ammonia per annum, and five million barrels of crude oil per annum, the influx of marine traffic and foreign traders in SOGIP will mark a new chapter, establishing it as an international trading hub while providing international exposure and permanent job opportunities for the people of Sabah.
“The Floating Storage Regasification and Power Production Unit (FSRP), a component of this project, is also expected to strengthen the power supply in Sogip while supporting Sabah’s grid.”
Abdul Rahman said that the project was significant due to Gibson’s large global network within the industry that brought both suppliers and buyers together for a win-win situation.
Chief executive officer Datuk Harun Ismail signed on behalf of SOGDC, while Gibson was represented by its managing director, Roger David Harrison.
The signing was witnessed by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Gibson is London-based shipbrokers with over 130 years of experience advising international clients, primarily in the oil and gas sector while SOGDC is a Sabah state government agency under the direct purview of the State Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE).
