S'pore oil complex

S'pore oil complex

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore has appointed Japan's Penta-Ocean
Construction Co. to reclaim land off Singapore's southern shore,
to merge seven islands into a massive offshore petrochemical
production complex, officials said Thursday.

Penta-Ocean will undertake the project on a joint-venture
basis with local partner Koon Construction and Transport Co. Pte.
Ltd. in the first stage of reclamation costing S$240 million
dollars (US$160 million).

The Jurong Island project, coordinated by the Jurong Town
Corporation (JTC), is part of Singapore's plan to create an
integrated chemicals industry.

"The natural choice is to develop land at the cluster of
southern islands off Jurong where existing refineries and
petrochemical industries are already located," said Ong Geok Soo,
JTC's director of technical services.

The Penta-Ocean contract runs for three years, during which a
land mass of 184 hectares (454.66 acres) will be created, said
Ong. Two other reclamation stages will then be implemented.