Kuching, March 5 - ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. (EMEPMI), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, today announced that it has awarded a contract worth about RM52 million (US$14 million) to a Malaysian construction company for the Jerneh B gas production platform.

Under the terms of the contract signed, Brooke Dockyard & Engineering Works Corporation, will fabricate and construct the platform jacket and topsides.  The contractor will also undertake the associated host tie-ins and offshore hook-up and commissioning works. The Jerneh B platform will be located about 230 km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

EMEPMI has accelerated the development of Jerneh B under the terms of the Natural Gas Project and Sales Agreement with PETRONAS of which EMEPMI is the sole participant and operator. The project is on a compressed schedule with just 20 months from project kick-off to offshore installation, compared to a typical project timeline of 24 months from technical definition for similar project developments.

EMEPMI Chairman Liam M. Mallon said, "EMEPMI is committed to working together with PETRONAS to ensure reliable gas supplies for Peninsular Malaysia. We are leveraging on ExxonMobil's industry-leading technology and international best practices to bring the Jerneh B gas development on-stream quickly and economically to benefit the nation."

The development capitalises further on the efficiencies and learnings from EMEPMI's "design once build many" concept with this platform being the 11th similar structure to be installed offshore in EMEPMI's operations. The concept used to develop smaller fields entails a minimum facility design based on a tripod structure.  This significantly shortens construction and installation timelines.

Production from the new unmanned facility will be transported to the main manned Jerneh A platform for compression and processing via a new 16-inch full well stream Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA) pipeline.

Fabrication is expected to commence in March 2007. Offshore installation of all facilities is scheduled for 3Q 2007 with drilling expected to start in the following quarter. Gas production, which is expected to commence in January 2008, is anticipated to peak at 150 million cubic feet per day.

EMEPMI is one of the major crude oil producers and suppliers of natural gas in Malaysia.  Gross daily operated crude oil production is around 150,000 barrels per day, while gross daily operated gas production is around 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day.  EMEPMI operates under six Production Sharing Contracts with PETRONAS and currently operates 42 platforms in 17 fields offshore Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia.