Petronas Takes Operatorship of E11 Gas Hub

Petronas has announced that it has taken over the operatorship of the E11 gas hub, located offshore Bintulu, Sarawak, through its subsidiary Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB).

An event to commemorate the handover, which became effective on January 1 this year, was held at Sarawak Shell Berhad’s (SSB) main office in Lutong, Sarawak, on December 31, 2020. The E11 hub, which has been producing since 1982 under the MLNG production sharing contract, had been operated by SSB for the past 38 years.

“On behalf of Petronas, I would like to thank SSB for operating the E11 gas hub in an efficient and responsible manner for more than three decades,” Petronas’ vice president of Malaysia assets, Bacho Pilong, said in a company statement.

“I am pleased to note that SSB and Petronas had implemented all the necessary activities since July 2019 to ensure a smooth handover of the E11 hub,” he added in the statement.

“Today marks a significant milestone for PCSB as the operator of the E11 hub which is pivotal in ensuring reliable, stable and cleaner energy supply to the market, while continuing to develop Sarawak as a regional gas hub”, the Petronas vice president went on to state.

According to its recently released activity outlook for 2021 to 2023, Petronas anticipates the outlook for the industry to remain challenging, impacted by the demand destruction from the Covid-19 pandemic. In the outlook, the company noted that gas remains a crucial and cleaner source of fuel but added that diversification into renewable energy is imperative.

Petronas describes itself as the custodian of Malaysia’s national oil and gas resources. Founded in 1974, the company is led by President and Group Chief Executive Officer Tengku Muhammad Taufik, who was announced as Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin’s replacement back in June last year. Ariffin retired from the company after 37 years with Petronas.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com