Halliburton to expand manufacturing output in Johor

Halliburton Energy Services (M) Sdn Bhd, the local unit of global provider of products and services to the oil and gas industry, is planning to double its manufacturing output in Senai by 2015.

Its Area Vice President, Rao Abdullah said currently, the plant is running at full capacity and producing a total of RM300 million worth of output annually.

"We will be investing an additional RM105 million for this, on top of more than RM500 million investment spent there. In the next two years, we hope to double the output to RM600 million in value annually," he said in an interview recently.

Rao said currently the products are catered for the local as well as export markets which include Brazil, Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

The plant, which has a built-up area of 190,000 sq ft, currently manufactures completion tools and cementing product service lines.

Among key products made at this plant are float equipment, sliding side doors, permanent packers and retrievable packers.

In line with the manufacturing expansion, Rao said the company is also planning to double its workforce at the facility from 300 people to 600 in two years.

For that purpose, the company will be talking to Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to find a solution to sourcing additional employees.

"We are looking for high-skilled people like engineers and machinists. That is why we need to talk to MIDA because we have problems in sourcing these people here," Rao said.

The company currently has more than 1,500 employees nationwide.

Apart from Johor, Halliburton has expanded its facilities and services in the last few years to Kuala Lumpur, Miri (Sarawak), Kemaman (Terengganu) and Labuan.

Rao said the additional investment was just the beginning and the company is committed in looking at investing and expanding further in the country.