27 October 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Mulk Oil and Gas Synergy Sdn Bhd (MOGS) and OMNI Oil Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd (OMNI) have signed a research collaboration agreement (RCA) to develop and commercialise the first custom-designed and Malaysian-made Novel Spiral Track Gage Polycrystalline Diamond Cutter (PDC) Drill Bit.

Present at the event, which was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), on Oct 18, were UTP vice chancellor Prof Ts Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, MOGS executive vice president Mohd Zaidan Khalid and OMNI managing director Nik Mustapha Fathil Nik Mahmud.

The signing was also witnessed by MOGS chairman Tan Sri Dr Aseh Che Mat and MOGS Board Member Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad.

Mohamed Ibrahim, in his speech, said the agreement was a testament to UTP’s continuous effort in realising its aspiration to become an internationally recognised partner of choice for industry.

“Through this collaboration, we hope to commercialise our innovation, the PDC drill bit into the market. The PDC Drill Bit is customised to suit Malaysia and South East Asia’s unique offshore drilling conditions where geological formations are characterised as being interbedded.

“The PDC drill bit is one of the many innovations that are being commercialised by UTP’s Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Unit. Through our multidisciplinary research institutes, UTP undertakes research that are anchored on addressing industry pain points and positions itself as a partner to the industry,” he said. Meanwhile, Aseh said the purpose of the tripartite RCA was to promote and commercialise local research and development (R&D) and manufacturing of high-performance tools given the fact that oil and gas (O&G) drilling activities in Malaysian waters have been traditionally been dominated by imported products.