Asian Bintulu Fertiliser Plant, Bintulu, Sarawak

Asian Bintulu Fertiliser Plant

The Bali trip was the first trip I ever travel with my wife. Both us enjoy it so much for we managed to rent a motor bike and start going around to places further than Bali beach itself.For your info, I was given a Indonesia license by the authority in Balikpapan for the reason of me being in the Refinery. Upon reaching Singapore, I reported to my office and a few days later after collecting several documents I flew from Singapore to Kuching and than from Kuching to Bintulu. During the trip to Bintulu, I got a shock my life. When I was informed that I can board the plane, I took my bag and followed everybody out to the plane. One look at the plane I was a bit worry for the plane is a Fokker Plane and you can just imagined seeing the two propellers.
Once inside, my sit happened to be along the aisle and I could see the cockpit of the plane with the captain and his co pilot .Die lah!, I was so scare. You can just imagined from all the planes (747s Boeing and smaller one 737) that I were travelling in, I am now in a plane with 2 propellers flying to Bintulu. The door of the plane was shut and I could see the the plane taxing along the runway and the scope indicating the runway on the flight deck. All of a sudden, every light was turned off and even the curtain that separated us from the cockpit was drawn across. I just sit and quite pray that everything will be ok. Finally, I reached Bintulu and on seeing my Project manager from Iran , I was very happy and relief. We chatted about my job in Indonesia and he congratulated me for being outstanding at the refinery job. Before the this topic, I was very sad for the American Head that was in charged of the all plants in the refinery wrote for a testimonial and it was missed place in the Singapore Head office. My personal department could not find it and acknowledged that it was a very good later. Just imagine I could apply for other Oil and Gas job with that testimonial. Very well paid to be working in this industry.

First person I reported to was Mr Edo, a short and warmed Japanese with full of smile, from Kobe Steel. During my stay with the Japanese, I was very happy for they do not miss you out for any gathering and festival they are celebrating. The best is their New Year (1st of January)

But sometime you have your up and done for one day I was called into the office by all the Japanese head of department for a simple reason that was my decision of stopping all the concrete plant providing their supply to other section except mine. Well my explanation to them was very simple, I have to pour a 1000 cubic meter of concrete for the plinth of the silo.

My Japanese head supported me on this matter and the the rest of the department laid off this issue immediately but even than I was called into his office for a good lecture....

The second incident was that I could not lead the morning exercise. I was too tired that I could not wake up on time for exercise event but on time for my work. I was called by Mr Edo to explain and I told him that I was too tired for I work very late each day. He immediately clarified with my head and was felt very apologetic after finding out what I said was truth and apart from this I have to walk everyday back to camp around midnight each day. On that night , I was very surprised that I was offered by one of the Japanese engineer to drive a car to work at night and leave it in a box so that he could collect it the following morning.

Apart from these, I was instructed to be the camp chief for my bunker and this is the worse for most of the Japanese make alot of noise each night after a heavy drinking section at our inhouse recreation club where all the Karaoke facility were available. They were very happy everyday after finishing their daily job. The next thing happened at the recreation club for the Japanese said that I was very snoobish for not joining them and Mr. Edo found out the real reason was because I do not drink alcohol like them. Well, the following night they mentioned that I must joined them and upon arrival at the club I found out that there was a crate of Coke Cola with my name on it and the bartender told me that a lot more were reserve for me in his store ,FOC, as instructed by the Japanese Head. Everybody started to laugh that night. In order to thank them I borrowed alot of VCD. movies for them in Bintulu Town and that include a lot of "Omm Omm" movies. All these were paid by Kobe Steel.

New Year Celebration .

Today, 1st January, all Japanese started to pound and grind rice at the club house and that include all their wives and children. I was introduced to each family and that day.I learned not to bow after the other party has bowed back( if I am the first to bow). The children wore Kimono and were very cute. I could remember must about this New Year celebration but during that night everybody was given a gift after our karaoke in our club house.

Under this project, I have to construct the Urea area and have to be extreme careful on all concrete casting for all rebar must not be exposed for Urea will corrode any metal . The whole roof was made of timber truss .

In the above picture, the lifting of the silo was the first experience during the heavy industrial construction for me. It was carried by Singapore P&H company called Walter Wright.

The Computer Man

The most unforgetable Japanese was the IT programmer. I thought that I was the only staff working so late each day but one day I found out that there was one more staff who worked longer than me and he was the computer progammer. Well, nobody was allowed to enter his room and very strange he allowed me and when I asked him on his work he mentioned that he could perform better in the night. Just imagine seeing all the print out on the floor when entering the room. Each night I would go over to his room and wished him good night. The reason was to remind him to leave at 3.00am (I left at 12.00 midnight )