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.