TURBOWOLF Resources Sdn Bhd may be relatively small and young, but the Sarawak-based oil and gas company has big ambitions and a clear vision for its future.
Established in 2016, it started out in wireline well intervention, one of only six companies in Malaysia in this niche business, before eventually diversifying into other services.
From the beginning, managing director Terence Baru Meechang's vision was bigger than just winning contracts or growing revenue.
Having dealt with specialised technologies involving sensors, explosives, high pressure and the like in his previous career with global oil and gas companies, he wanted to develop local talent and open up technological access to them.
"Our main goal in starting Turbowolf is to create a platform for everyone to access technology," he said.
"Whoever we hire, we expose them to the platform without placing them on a bond. We want proper access for our people, to train them without any barriers. They can learn whatever technology they want.
"This is the main initiative at Turbowolf: to set that platform and ensure that everyone has the same starting point."
Motivated by this ambition, Turbowolf managed to overcome various challenges, growing through the years.
The company celebrated its 10th anniversary last April, a milestone Terence described as surreal.
"If I had to summarise our early years in one word, it would be survival. In those early years we faced almost everything you could throw at a young company.
"Industry downturns, Covid-19, political instability and even the ripple effects of global conflict. There were moments that truly tested us," he recalled.
It was during those early, difficult years that PETRONAS began to play a role that Terence describes as quietly transformative.
“One of the earliest turning points for us was being given the opportunity to attend a vendor engagement session in Bintulu,” Terence said. “That single event opened a door.”
It was not an immediate transformation, but a gradual widening of access. Exposure to the upstream ecosystem followed, along with opportunities to demonstrate capability in operational environments governed by national standards.
Turbowolf built up resilience and a strategy to meet the circumstances. It stayed lean, utilised management tools and invested in client relationships.
Advancing beyond survival, Turbowolf now operates in four business divisions - energy development, asset management, clean technologies and trading.
The company has also started establishing international subsidiaries and carries a substantial order book underpinned by long-term contracts.
Turbowolf currently has an ongoing contract with PETRONAS, a testament to its capabilities, standards and commitment to delivering quality work.
"Earning the trust of PETRONAS is not something that happens overnight. It requires consistent performance, a strong safety culture and the ability to meet world-class expectations," Terence said.
Looking ahead, Turbowolf is working towards securing more contracts with industry players.
Terence also shared that the company is looking at regional expansion, with clear goals and direction in mind.
"What I can tell you with full confidence is that we will still be us. Same values, same vision, same kampung boys with big dreams and a serious work ethic.
"The foundation we have built over the past 10 years gives me enormous confidence about what the next five will hold."
To emerging vendors, Terence said it is important to define their goals and never give up.
"Trust yourself, trust the process and most importantly, trust God. The time will come.
"People who know me and my partners know how we struggled and persevered. I think that's what new companies can learn from us."
