Oil and ships

When Dungun became the iron mining town in the late 1940s, the locals were able to see foreign ships coming and going. Dungun became a busy small town. The 'golden era' ended in the late 70s when the mines in Bukit Besi closed-down. The expatriate worders returned and Dungun was left idle. In 1982, PETRONAS Carigali made its first oil discovery at Dulang Oilfield off the coast of Terengganu.

"Another oil industry city in Terengganu is Kerteh which is about 2 hours drive to the south of Kuala Terengganu. The whole setting and layout of Kerteh is so much different from other cities in Terengganu state. With the moving in of the petroleum refineries into this little town, rows of modern residential houses were built in the outskirt of old for the employees in the petroleum processing companies apart from the refineries plants a few kilometers away. The economy of this tiny town has blown up in a night time changing from one little ‘no city’ to a city with important economy role for the state. Passing by the huge petroleum refinery plants in the night time is a unforgettable experience. Gases accompanied by fire released from the pipe and the huge plants are brightly lighted and appear in a suddenly on a bare land, like a space city appear in the middle of the sky." (courtesy terengganutourism.com)