May 8, 2010
New township for Kimanis
KOTA KINABALU: A fully integrated township centred around Sabah’s up and coming oil and gas industry is to be developed over an 800ha zone stretching from Kimanis to Sipitang in the south-western part of the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said the township would go hand in hand with the development of the multi-billion-ringgit Sabah oil and gas terminal being undertaken by Petronas in Kimanis.
Gas from offshore Sabah will land at the terminal and be utilised domestically and pumped to the Bintulu liquefied natural gas plant via the Sabah-Sarawak gas pipeline. The gas is expected to flow in 2013.
“The setting up of the terminal in Kimanis will put this township on the map as a new oil town similar to Miri, Bintulu and Kerteh.
“It will start small but the township will be modern and well planned with a green environment.
“It will have good infrastructure connecting it to Kota Kinabalu and the international airport,” he said after opening the inaugural Borneo International Oil and Gas Conference here yesterday.
Musa said the state government was drawing up a masterplan for the development of the new township.
“We envision Kimanis to become a common facilities township with a helicopter hangar and airstrip, industrial and occupational health clinics, supply base and warehouses, workshops and service centres and offices apart from training schools.
“The town will have supporting infrastructure like hotels, hostels, restaurants, schools and places of worship,” he added.
He said the state was also counting on Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Yayasan Sabah to help build a skilled workforce for the state’s oil and gas industry.
Meanwhile, a full fledged aviation hub is taking shape at the Kota Kinabalu international airport where an aviation academy and a helicopter maintenance centre is to be sited.
“Our aspiration is to make the KKIA an aviation centre in this part of the world,” said Musa who witnessed the signing of a declaration of interest to develop the aviation industry in Sabah.
The signing came after Musa launched the inaugural Borneo international oil and gas conference and exhibition here yesterday.
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