Malaysia plots Rapid rivalry with Singapore
Malaysia is pitting itself against economic rival Singapore as it strives to develop a major $20 billion world-scale refinery and petrochemicals hub
The Petronas-led refinery and petrochemical integrated development scheme, dubbed Rapid, will be the single largest liquid-based downstream investment in Malaysia. And, once complete, the complex will be bigger than all of Petronas’ existing refineries and chemical plants combined. The framework for the complex, which aims to meet growing demand for premium specialty chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region, includes a 300,000 barrel per day (b/d) refinery, a naphtha cracker with a combined production capacity of around 3 million tonnes a year (t/y) of ethylene, propylene, C4 and C5 olefins, as well as an additional 22 mini-petrochemical complexes. A 5m t/y LNG receiving terminal is also part of
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation






