MALAYSIA 4TH LARGEST O & G DEEPWATER HUB IN WORLD

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is the fourth largest oil and gas
deepwater hub in the world with presence of key players in the sector, Technip
Group's president and chief executive officer, Bernard Di Tullio said Tuesday.

"When you combine the presence and size of the Malaysia Marine Heavy
Engineering, Sapura, Technip and others, it is big itself," he said.

The other hubs are in Europe, Houston (US), Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), he said
on the sideline of the 15th Asia Oil and Gas Conference here.

He said with such a reputation and presence, Malaysia was also fast in
taking opportunities amid the rising demand for gas in Asia Pacific.

Technip, an oilfield-services provider company, reportedly is investing
another RM200 million (US$60.1 million) (US$1=RM3.32) to expand a new plant in
Tanjung Langsat to meet Asia Pacific's rising demand for specialised deepwater
equipment.

The investment is to expand its RM500 million (US$150.2 million) Asiaflex
Products plant which will produce flexible pipes when it is completed this year.

The expansion would see the plant also making subsea umbilical systems,
including electrical cables that support communications and power
supply.

--BERNAMA