KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 2): Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB) has confirmed that a number of personnel employed by its contractor tested positive for Covid-19 at a supporting vessel for one of its platforms off the coast of Bintulu, offshore Sarawak, on July 25.

However, there has been no disruption to its operations on the platform, Petronas said in an emailed response to queries from The Edge today.

According to a report by oil and gas news portal Upstream, a Sarawak lawmaker has blamed the national oil company for the new coronavirus outbreak in Bintulu after 24 crewmen and two oil rig workers tested positive for Covid-19.

Bintulu member of Parliament Tiong King Sing alleged that the vessel Grade One Manjung 7 — a Malaysia-flagged anchor handling vessel that has been working for Petronas — allegedly failed to carry out the compulsory 14-day quarantine upon arrival at Bintulu Port in early July, and was given permission for workers to disembark or others to board the vessel during that two-week period, before departing for a platform on its D18 field.

In response, PCSB told The Edge that any release of contractor vessels into its areas of operations "strictly complies and shall continue to comply with all the directives from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the guidelines issued by the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), as well as Petronas' standard operating procedures to manage the risk of any Covid-19 transmission at all our assets".

"In line with the government's efforts on the National Immunisation Programme to reach herd immunity, Petronas has played an active role by setting up the oil and gas vaccination centres (PPVIN Minyak & Gas) in Bintulu and Miri for staff, contractors and other oil and gas companies' personnel.

"We are working closely with the MOH, SDMC, our partners and contractors to effectively manage the situation, and wish to reaffirm that the health and safety of all our employees, contractors and surrounding communities remain our utmost priority," Petronas added.