Companies servicing Malaysia’s oil and gas sector are using the experience and expertise gained during collaborative ventures with foreign firms as a launchpad for overseas expansion.
Four decades of developing solutions for Malaysia’s operational environment, under the state-owned hydrocarbons producer, Petronas, have put local outfits on a solid footing to enter the rapidly expanding global oil services industry.
However, the fast pace of growth has also produced challenges for firms embarking on international expansion, including project delays and equipment shortages, which are taking their toll on margins.
At home, Malaysia’s oil sector services providers have benefited from Petronas’s efforts to galvanise production in recent years, spearheaded by a $30bn investment aimed at ramping up output, developing new offshore reserves and extending the production life of existing fields.
The country is looking to return oil and condensate production to more than 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) equivalent, having reversed a decline which saw output fall to a 20-year low in 2011 of 569,000 bpd.
Malaysia is also aggressively developing its natural gas resources. The country is now the world’s second-largest liquid natural gas (LNG) exporter behind Qatar. Like most of its oil fields, the majority of Malaysia’s gas reserves are located offshore, offering many growth opportunities for service providers.
With their overseas expansion well on track, key Malaysian firms now rank among the largest serving the international oil and gas sector. SapuraKencana has evolved to become a major provider of support platforms for drilling rigs after expanding its fleet to 24.
At the end of August, meanwhile, the Malaysian offshore oilfield services company, Bumi Armada, announced it had signed a joint venture agreement with Dutch geo-science specialist, Fugro, to provide well services.
Bumi Armada’s CEO, Hassan Basma, told the press that the initiative marked a new direction for the company, which has, to date, focused on floating production storage and offloading (FPSO), transport and installation, and offshore supply.
“This investment will represent our first foray into the lucrative and expanding subsea market where Bumi Armada intends to make its presence felt. These additional services will contribute to our footprint on a global scale with focus on our core markets,” he said. Bumi Armada will have a 51% stake in the new firm.
State-backed services provider UMW Oil &Gas Corporation is also eyeing expansion, with its plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO), tentatively valued at $850m, already generating considerable interest. The provider is expected to begin taking orders for its offering in October, while a scheduled listing is set to come in the following weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-September that both J P Morgan and US financial group Fidelity Investments have agreed to be two of eight key institutional investors in the IPO.
Funds raised will likely be used to pay down existing debt and boost capital expenditure for future expansion. A total of 39% of the company’s shares will be offered through the listing.
Malaysia-based Scomi Group has already extended its reach into Africa, the Caucasus region and Asia, with the firm’s oil services unit underpinning a 13.3% increase in revenue in the quarter ending June 30 and posting profits of $7.3m.
“Strong demand for drilling fluids and drilling waste-management solutions in Malaysia, Thailand, Turkmenistan and West Africa contributed significantly to the group’s financial performance,” the company said in a statement filed with Bursa Malaysia in late August.
The firm’s expansion reflects the heightened activity taking place in the global offshore oil and gas industry. However, the rapid pace of expansion has also put several regional players under pressure, leading to cost overruns and increasing competition for both equipment and manpower, resulting in a squeeze on margins.
Reuters reported that despite winning work, Singapore’s Ezra Holdings posted a 68% fall in profits for the three months ended May 31, due to project delays and cost overruns incurred by its subsea division. SapuraKencana said it faced similar risks, Reuters added.
Operators will be aware of the pitfalls that rapid expansion can produce. However, with exploration and exploitation activities set to increase in the coming years, particularly across the offshore segment, Malaysia’s firms will be well placed to tap into the services that the global oil and gas sector requires.
Stay updated on how some of the world’s most promising markets are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what actions governments and private businesses are taking to mitigate challenges and ensure their long-term growth story continues.
Register now and also receive a complimentary 2-month licence to the OBG Research Terminal.
Register Here×This week it was announced that the state of Johor would become one of the primary growth engines of the country under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
La production marocaine de phosphates et de produits dérivés, comme les engrais, devrait connaître une hausse considérable. En effet, l’Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), qui détient le...
The Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has spent the last week in the US hoping to garner support for economic reforms at home and trade concessions for Turkish exports to the US.
