Malaysia's state oil company Petronas plans to build a US$1.6 billion (S$1.99 billion) petrochemical complex in Brunei with Germany's BASF, Bernama reported yesterday, quoting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
No further details on the complex were immediately available. Bernama said Petronas' unit Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering would also build a fabrication yard in Brunei but did not give a value for it.
"Both projects will have positive impact on both countries, particularly the job opportunities to be created," Mr Najib was quoted as saying during his annual visit to the oil-rich sultanate. He said the new plant will create at least another 650 jobs, adding that Sarawak is also looking into ways to sell and channel electricity into Brunei.
The news comes as Petronas yesterday officially started oil-drilling in Brunei waters near the Sarawak-Brunei border boundary in a historic joint-production sharing deal with the sultanate's national oil company, PetroleumBrunei, The Star newspaper reported.
Yesterday also saw the start of construction of a RM25 million (S$10.16 million) bridge across Sungai Pandaruan to link Brunei's Temburong district with Limbang district in Sarawak, the report said.
Mr Najib said the new bridge link would be crucial to the development of the northern Sarawak-Brunei-Sabah region, spurring greater movement of people and cargo from one state to the other in an efficient manner, the report added.
