MALAYSIA: Sabah plans another ammonia plant in Sipitang

Sabah plans to develop another ammonia plant at the Sipitang Oil & Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) under the 11th Malaysia Plan.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is also state Industrial Development Minister, said Sabah Oil & Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC) has identified five ammonia derivatives -- caprolactam, ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and diammonium phosphate.

"For 2016, SOGDC's focus is to further boost the petrochemical industry in SOGIP and locate several support industries or businesses so as to provide well-rounded services to investors in SOGIP," he said.

SOGIP's first ammonia plant will begin operations next year, he said in his winding up speech at the State Assembly in Kota Kinabalu on 25 Nov 2015. To a supplementary question from Dr Roland Chia (PKR-Inanam), Tan said oil produced in Sabah will not be sent to the petrochemical terminal in Johor for refining, as the process can be done on an oil rig.

Source: “Bernama” (National News Agency of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur; 25 Nov 2015
(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)