KUALA LUMPUR – National oil and gas corporation Petronas is extending all efforts to ensure the safety of 155 of its contractor’s workers who are currently stranded on its Yetagun oil rig, located off the coast of Myanmar.
Responding to a report of the workers’ predicament following a military coup in Myanmar, Petronas stated that it is in contact with the team and working closely with the contractor overseeing the workers’ well-being and ensuring a continuous supply of essentials, including food, drinking water and fuel.
“Another 36 workers under the contractor and two Petronas employees have already been transported to nearby hotels safely for onshore rest and recovery, while observing Covid-19 quarantine requirements,” the company said in a statement today.
Petronas added that it continues to work closely with its contractor, the Malaysian embassy in Myanmar, Wisma Putra and all relevant authorities in managing this matter.
"The safety and well-being of our contractors and their families are our utmost priority."
Petronas’ response came after Mingguan Malaysia reported earlier that roughly 200 workers aboard the Yetagun oil rig owned by Petronas are stranded aboard the platform and without contact either with the Malaysian embassy or their employers since Myanmar's military coup on February 1.
According to one worker, they were all hired by a contractor working for Petronas and would generally spend around 40 days at a time at sea.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the staff were kept on for longer rotation shifts.
Following the coup last week, the crew claimed it had zero contact with others and were running out of food and gas.
The worker reportedly said that the crew resumed operations on February 2, having been given one-day break on the day of the coup.
The worker also confirmed that some of the staff had already been sent ashore, adding that since then helicopter services had been grounded in Dawei, a city south-east of Myanmar and is believed to have been taken over by the junta.
Wisma Putra has yet to issue a response on the situation. – The Vibes, February 7, 2021
