Bintulu Port area during the First Economic Boom (1979 - 83)

The Bintulu Port area in 1982 - a humble beginning.
Construction of the Bintulu Port was lead by a South Korean contractor named Daelim Industrial Co Ltd which secured a total of RM 170 million worth of construction packages for the first deepwater port of Sarawak. Works were in full swing in 1980 to meet the scheduled completion by end of 1982.  Total cost of building the port was RM 500 million.
Photo credits: Annual Audited Report of Bintulu Port Authority, 1982. 

View of port in 1988

One of the mammoth projects done to kick start the first economic boom in Bintulu (1979 - 1983) was the construction of the Bintulu Port by the Federal Transport Ministry of Malaysia.  Concerted efforts by all stakeholders were critical to the completion of the port built to handle the first shipment of liquified natural gas cargo (LNG) scheduled in 1983.  The Bintulu Port started operations on 1st January, 1983.  The first LNG cargo that left the port was on 29th January,1983.  The future development and sustenance of the port hinged primarily on its role as the sole provider of berthing and loading  facilities for the export of LNG.  However, to add value to its permanent presence in the Bintulu landscape it acquired vast tracts of land around the port vicinity for future storing, warehousing, transfer and direct loading of many other downstream petroleum and non-petroleum products for local and foreign destinations.  At the inset is a picture of the port area in 1988 which shows at the foreground the long conveyor gallery that transfer the granular urea products direct from the Asean Bintulu Fertiliser (ABF) plant to a shiploading facility at the end of the conveyor gallery.  The ABF plant started exporting granular urea in 1985.

The picture above shows the development of industrial land around the port vicinity in 2012.

Sungai Likau in 1988

Aerial photo of Sungai Likau taken in 1988
(Taken while flying over the place on a commercial flight)

'

 In 1988 Sungai Likau was a remote place from Bintulu.  The place was totally isolated from Bintulu except by sea.  Between 1988-1992, I was very much involved with the development of tourist facilities at the place i.e. coordinating the project on behalf of the Sarawak Forestry Department.  The project was divided into two phases and involved the construction of office complex, changing room/toilet, jetty, chalets, picnic/day shelters, canteen, hostel, staff quarters, high level water tank and footpath.  Most of the clearing works were done in 1989-90, with the facilities construction done between 1991-1992.  During the construction the only access was by sea.  Only upon completion of the project was the road from Tanjong Kidurong  completed.  To have a glimpse of my traveling adventure to Sungai Likau, please follow this link ....>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2014/09/once-there-was-speedboat.html

Satellite image of Sungai Likau in 2012
The road link from Tanjong Kidurong is partly seen in middle of picture (right to left).
Sungai Likau is at the entrance to the Similajau National Park and site of the various tourist facilities.