Hi folks. I was away for two days (Friday and Saturday) at Pengerang in Johor. A friend and I drove down to Pengerang to attend a special briefing for Bloggers that was arranged by the Malaysian Petroleum Resources Corporation or MPRC to see for ourselves the huge Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex.
This is a truly gargantuan project spread over 22,500 acres that was initiated in 2006 by Dialog Berhad, the Malaysian oil and gas services company and now with the involvement of Petronas and Vopak of Holland. I hope to share a few Blogs about this two day visit.
There are always "turning points in history" where humongous events and huge opportunities appear around a nation or a country. If the nation grabs the opportunities, then the history of that nation would have "turned" - it becomes a turning point in history. If they miss the opportunity, then their history simply would not have turned.
Tun Dr Mahathir said the Islamic countries missed the Industrial Revolution. So history did not turn for the Islamic countries. Dr Mahathir did not want Malaysia to miss the IT Revolution as well, hence he created the Multi Media Super Corridor which we take for granted now and which generates so much wealth for Malaysia.
This Pengerang Project that will see initial investments of RM62 Billion (confirmed) and ultimately attract about RM170 billion in investments is going to see a petroleum and petrochemical hub that will generate annual petroleum and petrochemical product sales worth tens of billions of Ringgits. Initially there will be about 10,000 permanent, highly skilled and technical jobs created as well as providing jobs for about 50,000 construction workers who will be busy on this site for the next five to ten years.
Ultimately when all the RM170 Billion investments are planted (it will happen - do read on), there will be a permanent working population of around 40,000 people at the new petro-chemical plants in Pengerang. A new township is also taking shape that will have a population of 85,000 by 2030 (18 years away). I predict there will be a 100,000 population or more and much earlier than 2030.
There is plenty to write, including stories of lobsters, angry lobsters, vely vely lich mobster robsters, a man's dream and passion plus other interesting stuff.
First some pictures and an idea of the scale of the project.
These are some reclamation works at just one 500 acre site being undertaken by Dialog Bhd. Dialog will be setting up a 1.3 million cubic metre (1.3m cu.m) tank farm on this reclaimed site which will form the core of the PIPC project in Pengerang.
The tank farm will form Dialog's Pengerang Independent Petroleum Terminal. Dialog already has 1m cu.m of tank farms in Tg Langsat, making them Asia's largest private tank farm operator.
The following is a model of the tank farm project
Engineer on site. I totally enjoy talking to engineers. These guys are literally reshaping the face of the earth. We are standing on 10 metre high reclaimed land. After compacting, the depth will stabilise at 5 metres.
Vopak of Holland - a partner in this petroleum terminal - operates Europe's largest oil terminal at the Rotterdam Port in Holland. Their experience as well as business networking will be an added plus for the project. Here is Vopak's man on the spot in Pengerang, Law Say Huat, the MD. All local Malaysian boys. The President and CEO of Dialog Chan Yew Kai was my senior at ACS Ipoh.
More to come later. Lobsters, smugglers, agitators and all.
10 comments:
Tuan Syed,
Thanks GOd we missed the ANAL REVOLUTION...otherwisw by now Pengerang could have been Danang of Malaysia...A US Naval base acting as Australia's Maginot Line to check expansion of China southward towards Australia..
Prof Awe Kecik
It's comforting to note our competitiveness in being a player within the energy sector has not dampened despite the on-going political circus. I have been involved with NT/WA's Inpex and QLD's CLNG in downunder where the published budget for one of the facilities mentioned stands at RM 92 billion - we're talking huge investment in this sector. It's interesting to observe socio-economy impacts from these massive investments onto the locals in particular and the country in general. For instance, Qantas lounge used to be filled with tie-and-suit professionals but has since been replaced with fly-in/fly-out sparkies in their bright hi-viz..:-)
HM, syd-hk.
As a Johorean, rather than immediately dismiss and call for a halt to this project is unwarranted. If implemented successfully and without cost overuns it could turn out to be a the best development in Johor. Infact, this project could unshackle Singapore's strangehold in petro-chemicals.
However, it is also fair to call on Dialog and the state government to ensure that the fishermen do not pay a high price and that their livelihood is not jeopadised.
Unlike, the Iskandar project while the guys running it are more interested in lining their pocket, this Chinamen run Dialog group is more likely to be focussed and successful.
Does this mean that Malaysia's energy future for the next 20 yrs is still to be tied to oil ?
RM4.2 million will be spent to create a job for me. I prefer to take the Rm4.2 million instead the job.
Name me one UMNO project where the benefits for the rakyat outstripped the profits made by its sponsors.
It used to be Tabung Haji, Bernas, EPF and now Felda. My bet is soon enough SOCSO will also be a victim.
Li'l Abner
kenapa aku rasa, aku tk akan mendapat apa2 faedah, hanya melopong tengok....sesuatu puak aje yg kaya raya ...once again?
Much effort of people who live there, striving to built a "home" is going to be destroyed. Home for more then 150yrs of history.
Damn it..Dont you dare to beat singapore's petroleum industry!!! Just stay in your kampong lives
Those unethical businessmen can use whatever reasons to grab the land there. Is this call development? Who is the main beneficial for this project?
They will just destroy this land for their own benefits.
I really feel sad about this project
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