KUCHING, March 15: Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) was today issued the first licence for carbon storage to begin its strategic role as resource manager for Sarawak’s natural carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) resources.
The licence, issued by Sarawak Land and Survey Department, covers an area located in North Luconia province, offshore Bintulu.
Commenting on the issuance of the licence, Petros Group chief executive officer (CEO) Janin Girie emphasised that the development of CCUS infrastructure will unlock and commercialise the development of stranded sour gas reserves offshore Sarawak.
“The additional gas unlocked by CCUS can ensure long-term energy and gas supply security for Sarawak which would complement the energy transition for Sarawak and Malaysia.
“Down the line, the base CCUS infrastructure established to enable the sour gas field development can be further expanded to allow other carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters, both local and foreign, to capture and store CO2, to reduce the greenhouse warming effect and enabling the realisation of a net carbon-zero economy,” he said in a statement today.
A ceremony to present the licence certificate to Petros by permanent secretary of Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datu Zaidi Mahdi was held in conjunction with the Asia Carbon Conference (ACC) 2023 which was officiated by Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at a hotel here today.
Janie added that these infrastructure expansions, in turn, will create business opportunities to operate CCUS infrastructures, generating revenue for Sarawak’s economy, whilst further developing local capabilities.
“With an abundance of storage potential in offshore areas, Sarawak is blessed with the biggest potential of carbon storage capacity in Malaysia.
“We welcome organisations who are committed to achieving their decarbonisation targets to explore utilising CCUS potential in Sarawak with Petros,” he added.
Meanwhile, during Petros’ 5th year anniversary celebration in October last year, Premier of Sarawak had announced that, given its technical expertise and resources, Petros being the region-owned oil and gas company would be the resource manager for CCUS in Sarawak, with collaboration and support from the relevant ministries. — DayakDaily
