KUCHING, 22 April -- Ketua Menteri Sarawak Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (empat, kanan) menyaksikan penyerahan dokumen perjanjian antara Petronas yang diwakili Naib Presiden Petronas Muhammad Zamri Jusoh (tiga, kanan) dengan Yayasan Hartanah Bumiputera Sarawak (YHBS) diwakili Timbalan Pengerusi YHBS Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Husain (lima, kanan) hari ini. Turut hadir Timbalan Ketua Menteri Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas (dua, kanan) dan Presiden Petronas Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin (kanan). -- fotoBERNAMA (2017) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
KUCHING: National oil corporation Petronas is in the process of selecting a partner to co-develop its SK316 gas field in Sarawak, not looking to sell it as reported by some media, said its president and chief executive officer Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin.
“SK316 exercise is to find partners that have the technology to develop and do more explorations in that block and now we are the process of selecting our partners,” he said in clarifying reports that Petronas was considering selling its stake in the SK316 offshore gas block in Sarawak.
SK316 involves very high sour gas and very high carbon dioxide content which are of high risk, thus, requiring high technology to develop the field, he told reporters at the signing of an agreement and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Petronas and Yayasan Hartanah Bumiputera Sarawak (YHBS) in Kuching on Saturday.
Reuters, in its recent report, said that Petronas was considering selling up to 49% stake in the SK316 offshore gas block for up to US$1bil (RM4.41bil) in seeking to raise cash and cut development costs.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg confirmed that the state government was consulted on the matter but said it did not want to take the risk to develop the gas field.
“The project cost billions of ringgit and it is of high risk,” he said, adding that the state government practised prudent investments to ensure profitable returns.
Meanwhile, the first agreement between Petronas and YHBS relates to the key terms for the supply of 140 mmscfd of natural gas to YHBS’ proposed methanol plant at Tanjung Kidurong, Bintulu, that will produce methanol and methanol derivatives.
The key terms include, among others, the price, volume and period of the gas supply by Petronas to YHBS. The agreement is a prelude to the gas sales agreement to be signed by both parties at a later date.
Abang Johari said construction works on the US$850mil (RM3.7bil) plant would begin by the end of this year and completed in 2021.
“The plant will definitely give us positive returns and the state government is prudent in its investments to ensure they are profitable,” he told a press conference after the signing ceremony.
Abang Johari said under the agreement signed on Saturday, Petronas agreed to supply gas to the plant “at a reasonable price” and that the national oil company would also help to market methanol produced from the plant.
At the same function, Petronas Chemicals Marketing (Labuan) Ltd and YHBS signed an MoU on the sale and purchase agreement for methanol produced by YHBS’ methanol plant. - Bernama
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