By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 28: Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) is finalising agreements under the Sarawak Bid Round 2024 – Asia’s first bid round focused exclusively on carbon storage – and aims to develop three offshore carbon storage sites, with successful bidders to be awarded by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
Deputy Premier and Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan emphasised that Sarawak is poised to lead the regional carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry, leveraging over 65 per cent of Malaysia’s geological carbon storage potential.
“Sarawak is at the forefront of national and regional decarbonisation efforts, driving sustainable solutions and enhancing our strategic position in the global low-carbon economy,” he said when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Awang Tengah said PETROS, together with investors, has committed over RM100 million to assess Sarawak’s carbon storage potential and build a robust data infrastructure.
“These efforts aim to strengthen Sarawak’s competitive edge in the global CCUS market, attracting investments and driving sustainable economic growth,” he said.
To support the long-term growth of the CCUS sector, PETROS is also establishing Kuching and Samalaju as key CCUS hubs, backed by advanced infrastructure that will offer integrated carbon storage solutions for both domestic and international emitters over the next decade.
As the appointed resource manager, PETROS launched the Sarawak Bid Round 2024 in July to offer three offshore storage sites with an estimated total carbon storage capacity of approximately 1,000 million tonnes (MT) CO₂e.
These sites present immense potential for successful CCUS development and long-term emissions reduction.
Site 1, located in the Southwest and Western Luconia province, offera saline aquifer storage to support the Kuching Economic Hub. It is expected to enable sour gas field development and decarbonisation of new industries in Kuching, while addressing emissions from existing operations.
Site 2 comprises depleted fields nearing the end of their life cycle in the Balingian province. Its proximity to shore aligns with plans to establish a new onshore gas plant, supporting near-term deployment of CCUS infrastructure.
Site 3 encompasses both saline aquifers and depleted fields in the Central Luconia province, with high-quality reservoirs and existing oil and gas infrastructure. The site also has potential for integrated development with nearby sour gas fields. — DayakDaily
