Malaysian energy giant Petronas has confirmed that a fire incident occurred at the Sabah-Sarawak gas pipeline (SSGP) which delivers natural gas to its giant LNG complex in Bintulu.
Petronas said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident took place near KP 132, nearby Lawas, Sarawak earlier this afternoon.
“The incident is believed to have involved a third-party contractor performing work unrelated to SSGP operations nearby the pipeline’s right-of-way (ROW) area,” it said.
The firm said that a police report had been lodged with regard to this incident and an investigation would start in earnest.
“Petronas’ emergency response team has been mobilized to the area. The company will work closely with all the relevant authorities to take the necessary action and preventive measures to contain the situation and safeguard the safety of the surrounding community and environment,” it said.
Several local media reports said that one person was killed during the incident and that at least one was injured.
Last month, Petronas declared force majeure on gas supply to Malaysia LNG Dua’s facility at the giant Bintulu LNG complex in Sarawak.
The move followed a pipeline leak caused by “soil movement at the vicinity of KP201, Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline that occurred on September 21, 2022,” Petronas previously said.
MLNG Dua operates the second liquefaction facility as part of the 30 mtpa Bintulu liquefaction and export complex.
The Bintulu LNG complex includes MLNG Satu, MLNG Dua, MLNG Tiga, and the most recent Train 9 which started commercial operations in 2017.
During the first half of this year, Petronas delivered 201 LNG cargoes from the Bintulu LNG facility.
The plant, which has shipped more than 12,000 LNG cargoes since it started operations back in 1983, supplies key demand centers such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan.
