Kuala Lumpur: Sarawak state-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Sarawak Berhad (Petros) has begun producing its first oil, pumping 800 barrels a day from an onshore well near Marudi earlier this week, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Sarawak Day assembly in Sibu, Abang Johari described the milestone as a historic achievement that marked a significant step in the state’s push to strengthen its control over its oil and gas industry, Harian Metro reported.
He said the inaugural production was a special Sarawak Day gift to the people of the state and demonstrated the ability of Sarawakians to explore and manage their own natural resources.
“I would like to announce, as a gift to the people of Sarawak, that Petros, our own oil and gas company, began producing its first oil earlier this week at a rate of 800 barrels a day from a well near Marudi,” he said.
The premier said the output amounted to about 24,000 barrels a month and marked the first onshore oil production in Sarawak in more than 50 years.
He said the development would strengthen Sarawak’s ambitions to expand its downstream petroleum industry, particularly in ammonia and blue hydrogen production, which have been identified as new drivers of the state’s economy.
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Abang Johari said the achievement also reflected the engineering capabilities and technical expertise of Sarawakians, positioning the state to play a larger role in Malaysia’s oil and gas industry.
“This is an enormous gift to Sarawak in conjunction with this year’s Sarawak Day celebration. “Petros has informed us this is only one well, with several more wells to be developed. This means Sarawak will play an even bigger role in the country’s oil and gas industry,” he said.
Abang Johari said the state government was also transforming the way Sarawak managed its natural resources by prioritising value-added processing within the state instead of exporting raw materials.
He said the new approach aimed to create more industries, high-skilled jobs and business opportunities for Sarawakians, forming the basis of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak government’s economic development strategy.
The premier said Petros’ first oil production demonstrated that the state’s policies were beginning to deliver tangible results while opening a new chapter for Sarawak’s energy sector.
He added that Sarawak was positioning itself to become Malaysia’s gateway to the green economy, a clean energy hub and a centre for high-value industries as the global economy shifts towards clean energy, artificial intelligence, digitalisation and advanced manufacturing.
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