IN the oil town of Miri, Sarawak, the Jolly family name has long been synonymous with the oil and gas (O&G) industry. Today, Stephen Malcom Walter Jolly carries the torch as the third generation deeply involved in the business. His children are now following in his footsteps, working at Welfield Services Sdn Bhd—the family company he leads.
“Oil and gas is in my blood—both my father and grandfather worked in this industry,” Stephen shared during an interview at Welfield’s newly renovated headquarters in Miri.
Stephen’s journey into the industry wasn’t immediate. After earning a mechanical engineering degree from the UK in 1988, he explored various ventures—from selling t-shirts and running a printing business to car sales—but none ignited his passion like oil and gas.
Growing up in Miri, a city with O&G roots dating back to 1910, Stephen eventually found his true calling through a maintenance contract with Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd (MLNG), a PETRONAS subsidiary. This project paved the way for Welfield’s specialisation in turnaround operations—a demanding sector requiring technical precision and strict adherence to tight schedules.
“Turnarounds are intense, with 24/7 shifts often extending through the night,” said Stephen, Welfield’s Managing Director and CEO. He emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to quality across all projects, including the recently completed PETRONAS’ Integrated Turnaround in Bintulu.
Turnarounds, or planned shutdowns for safety or critical maintenance, typically last around 30 days and demand meticulous planning. Stephen described the pressure as “unlike other projects, a one-day delay in a turnaround means losing over 3% of the schedule, which is significant.”
Undertaking the Turnaround Challenge
Since 2019, Welfield has been a key player in PETRONAS’ Integrated Turnaround program in Bintulu, operating under a long-term Master Service Agreement (MSA) alongside 16 other Malaysian contractors. They include Sarawak homegrown companies like Rahabco Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd, Maysville Sdn Bhd and Amalgamated Plant Engineering Sdn Bhd (AMAL).
This initiative streamlines maintenance and vendor management across multiple PETRONAS facilities, including MLNG, Asean Bintulu Fertiliser (ABF), and PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd’s Bintulu Integrated Facilities (BIF). These maintenance works are essential for ensuring safe and efficient operation of pipelines and machinery within the plants.
“For the integrated turnaround contract, we’ve (Welfield) got another two and a half years to go. I hope to give my full commitment to PETRONAS,” said Stephen, who never hesitates to roll up his sleeves and join the team on the plant floor during every turnaround.
Supporting him are six seasoned veterans—his trusted “generals”—who have worked alongside him since before Welfield’s inception. He takes great pride in their loyalty and expertise, explaining how they rotate through day and night shifts to ensure continuous operations.
“I still have my ‘generals’ around. It’s great working with them. Turnarounds run 24 hours, so I’d put half of them on day shift, and the other half on night shift. I trust my ‘generals’. They’ve been with me for over 25 years.”
Despite the high stakes and strict timelines in turnaround work, Stephen praised PETRONAS’ collaborative spirit and proactive contractor management as key factors in maintaining project momentum.
Looking ahead, Stephen hopes that Welfield’s proven track record continues to inspire confidence among stakeholders for the remainder of the Integrated Turnaround contract. Currently, the company has completed retubing work at the Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger (MCHE) within MLNG and is actively engaged in retubing at Module 4.
Bridging the Skills Gap
While Welfield reported RM150 million in revenue in 2024, Stephen acknowledges challenges such as resource logistics and manpower shortages in Sarawak. He said equipment readily available in Peninsular Malaysia can take time to mobilize in Bintulu, complicating turnaround schedules.
“Equipment such as drainage machines, compressors, and generator sets are readily available in Peninsular Malaysia, but we face logistical challenge to bring them to Bintulu. The procedure is tedious, which is why proper planning is very important in a turnaround,” he said.
Manpower shortage also pose great challenges to the project management team. Qualified workers such as quality assurance, quality controller, scheduler and planners are hard to fill locally. “The shortage of existing manpower to fulfil PMT roles in Sarawak has led to increased costs when importing talent for turnaround projects that span only 30 days.”
To address this, Welfield invests in training local diploma holders to gradually replace external hires, aiming for greater self-sufficiency within two years.
“In between turnaround projects, we conduct in-house training programmes for our workforce, grooming local employees to fill critical positions that have usually been staffed by external talent.
“We also employ a lot of local diploma holders and groom them to take over the roles which are filled by non-Sarawakians. It’s not easy because some specific position requires certain years of experience. We’ve been doing that for the last three to four years,” said Stephen.
This talent development initiative done by Welfield, represents a long-term investment in building local capabilities whilst reducing operational costs and dependency on external resources.
Looking Ahead: Opportunities in Sarawak
Founded in 2000 with just 10 employees, Welfield has since expanded to four branches in Miri, Bintulu, Labuan, and Melaka. The company focuses mainly on O&G maintenance, particularly for MLNG, offering specialized services such as heat exchanger maintenance, retubing, and loading arm refurbishment.
Welfield has also diversified into government infrastructure projects through the Public Works Department (JKR), managing 14 ongoing contracts across both sectors.
Over the next decade, Stephen plans to expand into maintenance for power plants in Miri and explore tenders with PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad in Bintulu. He views the O&G sector not as a sunset industry, but one poised for ongoing evolution.
“There are many opportunities for Sarawakian companies (in the O&G sector),” he said, “but the greatest challenge lies in securing the right people.”
He encourages local firms to capitalise on incentives offered by the State government and to prepare for the responsibilities that come with industry demands.
“If they’re ready to commit—and the commitment is not easy—the potential for success is there,” Stephen concluded. —DayakDaily
