Wata – Malaysian Oil and Gas Engineer

Dateline 2025-08-25, The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to use the terms ND6 and ND7 for oil and gas blocks in the Sulawesi Sea, rather than adopting Indonesia’s preferred reference to the Ambalat area, says Datuk Mohamad Alamin.

The Deputy Foreign Minister told Parliament that discussions on renaming the blocks have not taken place, and Malaysia will maintain the existing terminology for now.

He said the country would continue to address maritime boundary issues with Indonesia through technical meetings, stressing that negotiations should be conducted in a spirit of friendship rather than emotion.

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Dateline 2025-05-21, The Malaysia Reserve:

The blast exposed critical gaps in safety regulation, insurance coverage, planning and disaster response systems 

OVER a month has passed since the underground gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, on April 1, which caused extensive damage. 

With over 227 houses and 365 vehicles affected and 87 homes reportedly written off as total losses — the victims now face a long and complex journey toward disaster recovery and compensation. 

Reflecting on the lessons learned from the disaster, experts highlight the need for better insurance coverage and greater public awareness of personal and property protection. 

They also stress the importance of accurate underground utility mapping in Malaysia, as well as better urban planning and more rigorous monitoring of soil movements and pollutant concentrations near gas infrastructure and other high-risk areas. 

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Dateline 2025-04-01, Daily Express:

KUALA LUMPUR: The gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, today is believed to have been caused by a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE), according to a retired senior fire officer.

Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, a former director-general of the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), said the incident could have been due to leaked flammable gas, causing gas vapour to linger in the air before ignition triggered a massive explosion.

“When this flammable gas vapour is suspended in the air, it is just a matter of ignition or a fire source … leading to a powerful explosion from a leaking pipeline or a container holding flammable gases.

“This container may have ruptured, leaked, or had an open valve, among other possible causes,” he said during the Bernama World programme aired by Bernama TV today.

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Dateline 2025-07-25, Offshore Engineer:

Thailand’s state-backed energy firm PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has acquired 50% of Block A-18 in the Malaysia–Thailand Joint Development Area (MTJDA) through a $450 million deal with Chevron’s subsidiaries.

The transaction, completed on July 25, was executed through PTTEP Joint Development SG, a newly established Singapore-based subsidiary of PTTEP.

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Dateline 2025-07-01, Offshore Engineer:

Malaysia’s oil and gas services Velesto has secured a drilling contract for its NAGA 5 jack-up drilling rig by PTTEP HK Offshore and PTTEP Sarawak Oil, collectively referred as PTTEP, for its 2025 – 2026 drilling campaign in Malaysia.

Under the contract, Velesto will assign NAGA 5, one of its premium jack-up rigs, to drill a firm 15 wells with operations scheduled to commence in June 2025.

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Dateline 2025-07-21, Offshore Engineer:

Dutch offshore contractor Marine Masters has completed its offshore scope for the decommissioning of the South Angsi Alpha (SAA) platform, operated by Hibiscus Oil & Gas Malaysia, marking a major milestone in the repurposing of retired offshore infrastructure.

The platform’s substructure is now resting on the seabed as part of Malaysia’s largest rig-to-reef project.

The SAA platform, located 130 km off the Terengganu coast, was a 4,000 mt weighing four-legged Mobile Offshore Application Barge (MOAB) that served as a full production facility for over 15 years.

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Dateline 2025-08-15, The Edge Malaysia:

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): Vantris Energy Bhd (KL:VANTNRG), formerly Sapura Energy, has signed a deal with a Ministry of Finance (MOF)-owned firm for an up to RM1.1 billion cash injection to pay its Malaysian vendors. The deal depends on Vantris’ restructuring plan taking effect by March 11, 2026, though the deadline can be extended upon agreement by both parties.

In a filing with the bourse, the debt-laden oil and gas company said it signed a redeemable convertible loan stocks (RCLS) subscription agreement with Malaysia Development Holding (MDH) on Friday. The deal was first announced in March this year.
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Dateline 2025-03-21, The Edge Malaysia:

KUALA LUMPUR (March 21): In the same month that the Malaysian government extended RM1.1 billion in support for ailing Sapura Energy (KL:SAPNRG), it also introduced the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Bill 2025. Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli emphasised the urgency of the bill, stating: “The tender for carbon storage is currently ongoing. If Malaysia cannot enforce this by March 31, we will be out — we cannot enter the bid.” However, it remains unclear what precisely Malaysia is bidding for.

Although Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib told Parliament that “drafting of the CCUS Bill was implemented based on a whole-of-nation approach”, clearly, parts of the nation were not on board. Environmental groups such as Klima Action Malaysia, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, RimbaWatch and Greenpeace all criticised the bill for lacking sufficient environmental safeguards. Also not part of the “whole-of-nation” are Sabah and the Deputy Minister’s home state of Sarawak, where the bill does not apply.

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Dateline 2025-08-14, Malay Mail:

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Petronas’ decision to import additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States (US) is subject to its capabilities and the country’s needs, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

“I don’t think that this is a problem because we only import what we need and it is based on commercial terms which will not be a burden on Petronas and the nation,” he said.

He said this in response to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar) on the impact of a precondition set by the US, which requires Malaysia to import additional LNG worth US$3.4 billion annually — equivalent to 4.0 million metric tonnes per year.

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Dateline 2025-08-15, The Edge Malaysia:

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): The global amount of discovered, recoverable oil resources has increased by five billion barrels in 2024, even though 30 billion barrels were produced globally in the year, according to Rystad Energy’s latest research.

In a statement, the global independent research and energy intelligence company said this net increase was driven primarily by the delineation of upside potential in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta play and the Permian Delaware basin in Texas and New Mexico, the United States.

“Global recoverable oil resources, including estimates for undiscovered fields, stabilised at approximately 1.5 trillion barrels,” it said.

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