KUALA LUMPUR: Dialog Group Bhd has received its first call by a very large crude carrier (VLCC), the Liberian-registered MT Mesdar, at the Pengerang Independent Terminals on the southeastern tip of Johor.

The deepwater terminals are operated by Pengerang Independent Terminals Sdn Bhd (PITSB) — a joint venture between Dialog (46%), Royal Vopak NV (44%), and the Johor state government (10%).

The vessel arrived yesterday from the Middle East to discharge its crude oil cargo at the terminal.

“We are extremely proud to welcome MT Mesdar to our facility. This is an incredible achievement and a historic milestone for us,” said Tan Sri Ngau Boon Keat, executive chairman of Dialog and chairman of PITSB, in a statement yesterday.

He added that the berthing of the 333m-long vessel, weighing some 315,802 tonnes, is proof Pengerang Deepwater Terminal is geared to become a regional oil and gas hub.

To date, more than 100 vessels have used the terminal, which offers petroleum and crude storage facilities for trading purposes.

“With Asia being a growing demand area for crude, and crude travelling longer distances, we are glad to see [that] our crude storage facility and VLCC berth at Pengerang is of value to our customers,” said Vopak Asia division president Patrick van der Voort in the same statement.

The Pengerang Independent Terminals development is the first independent land-based storage facility for crude oil in Southeast Asia, with a depth of 24m and equipped with deepwater facilities.

The terminals are situated on 500 acres (202ha) of reclaimed land in Pengerang, Johor, along major international shipping routes.

Dialog rose three sen or 2% to RM1.55 yesterday, bringing its market capitalisation to RM7.51 billion.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 17, 2015.