LABUAN: Oil and gas (O&G) crew change operations resumed in Labuan today after being suspended in 2020 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases and shifted to Kota Kinabalu.
Temporary counters manned by eight immigration personnel for the documentation clearance of O&G crews entering Sabah waters are now fully operational at the Asian Supply Base Sdn Bhd (ASB) headquarters at the Rancha-Rancha Industrial Estate here.
ASB chairman Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman expressed gratitude to the Immigration Department in Putrajaya for meeting the April 1 deadline, ensuring a smooth process for O&G crews.
“The resumption of oil drilling activity this month is expected to be robust, with a high influx of O&G crews from various parts of the country and abroad coming to Labuan for offshore jobs around Sabah waters,” he told Bernama.
Suhaili said the project to build a permanent three-storey crew change terminal, costing approximately RM25 million, was finalised late last year.
“This terminal, to be built at the Asian Supply Base, will accommodate local authorities from the Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, and Health Department for the screening of travel documents of Malaysian and international seafarers.
“Slated for completion by the end of this year, the terminal is a significant investment in Labuan’s infrastructure to support its crucial role in the O&G industry,” he said.
ASB, a Labuan-based Sabah government-linked company, operates an offshore supply base supporting O&G exploration, development, and production activities off the coasts of Sabah and Sarawak.
Suhaili, who is also the Labuan Member of Parliament, said the return of crew change activities to Labuan would significantly benefit the island’s economy, with hundreds of oil and gas crew members arriving and departing daily.
He said ASB has obtained an exemption order from the Sabah Home Affairs and Research Office (PHEDNP), Chief Minister’s Department, on April 22,2022, which granted ASB the right to assist its clients in obtaining immigration documentation clearance to enter and exit oil platforms around Sabah waters.
ASB chief executive officer Japar Esteban said ASB is fully prepared to provide facilities, including quarters, for government enforcement teams to ensure the smooth operation of crew change activities.
He said the crew change terminal would alleviate the logistical burden of petroleum arrangement contractors, who previously had to divert their crew to the Kota Kinabalu Port for immigration clearance before departing for the oil rigs in Sabah waters.
Japar said the crew change terminal is expected to bolster the Sabah state government’s revenue and attract more O&G crews to Labuan, thereby boosting the island’s business sector.
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