KOTA KINABALU:
The Government has been urged to make Kimanis a flourishing hub for oil and gas activities and not a transit point. Sabah Keadilan Information Chief Dr Edwin Bosi, who made the call, said Sabahans need a good explanation from the Government on what the Kimanis gas and oil complex is all about. According to Edwin in a statement yesterday, the Kimanis complex will house three major activities, namely the 300KW power plant, a crude oil depot and a gas depot. He said there is no dispute on the 300MW diesel-powered power plant because Sabah is in urgent need of extra power supply. “If we look at the other two activities, Sabah is just acting like a transit point. The crude oil will be piped to Kimanis from the rigs, removed of some impurity and then piped to ocean-going tankers out in the sea for refining. The gas is also piped from the rigs to Kimanis and then piped out to Bintulu, Sarawak. I was informed that the 36” pipe will cover a distance of about 500 km and crossing more than 300 rivers! “Why can’t the Government build a refinery in Kimanis? Why do we need to pipe the gas all the way to Bintulu? I urge the BN government to re-consider its plan but to make Kimanis a flourishing hub for oil and as activities and not a transit point,” he said, adding Sabahans are more than capable to handle and manage the industry.
