COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs: Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Independence: August 31, 1957 (from United Kingdom)
Population (2001E): 22.2 million
Location/Size: Southeast Asia/127,320 sq. mi. (slightly larger than New Mexico)
Major Cities: Kuala Lumpur (capital), Ipoh, Melaka, Johor Baharu, Penang, Kota Baharu, Georgetown, Kuching
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects, Tamil, tribal dialects
Ethnic Groups: Malay and other indigenous (58%), Chinese (26%), Indian (7%), others (9%)
Religion: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Christianity, various tribal
Defense (8/98): Army (85,000), Navy (12,500), Air Force (12,500)

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
Currency: Ringgit
Market Exchange Rate (7/29/02): $1 = 3.8 ringgits
Gross Domestic Product (market exhange rates) (2001E): $91.9 billion; (2002E):$97.8 billion
Real GDP Growth Rate (2001E): 0.4%; (2002E): 3.4%
Inflation Rate (consumer prices)(2001E): 1.4%; (2002E): 1.6%
Current Account Balance (2001E): $5.6 billion; (2002E): $9.4 billion
Major Trading Partners (2002): Singapore, Japan, United States, European Union
Merchandise Exports (2001E): $90.0 billion; (2002E): $93.2 billion
Merchandise Imports (2001E): $75.6 billion; (2002E): $75.4 billion
Major Export Products: Petroleum and petroleum products, palm oil, rubber, tin, electronic equipment
Major Import Products: machinery equipment, chemicals and food
External Debt (2002E): $34.3 billion

ENERGY OVERVIEW
Minister of Energy, Telecommunications, and Posts: Dato' Leo Moggie Anak Irok
Proven Oil Reserves (1/1/02E): 3.0 billion barrels
Oil Production (2001E): 730,205 barrels per day (bbl/d), of which 659,205 bbl/d is crude oil
Oil Consumption (2001E): 460,000 bbl/d
Net Oil Exports (2001E): 270,205 bbl/d
Crude Oil Refining Capacity (1/1/02E): 514,500 bbl/d
Natural Gas Reserves (1/1/02E): 75.0 trillion cubic feet (Tcf)
Natural Gas Production (2000E): 1.50 Tcf
Natural Gas Consumption (2000E): 0.72 Tcf
LNG Exports (2000E): 0.74 Tcf
Recoverable Coal Reserves (12/31/96): 4 million short tons
Coal Production (2000E): 0.2 million short tons
Coal Consumption (2000E): 3.3 million short tons
Net Coal Imports (2000E): 3.1 million short tons
Electricity Generation Capacity (1/1/00): 13.0 gigawatts (84% thermal, 16% hydroelectric)
Electricity Generation (2000E): 63 billion kilowatthours

ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW
Minister of Science, Technology and Environment: Law Hieng Ding
Total Energy Consumption (2000E): 1.9 quadrillion Btu* (0.46% of world total energy consumption)
Energy-Related Carbon Emissions (2000E): 29.9 million metric tons of carbon (0.46% of world total carbon emissions)
Per Capita Energy Consumption (2000E): 79.8 million Btu (vs U.S. value of 351.1 million Btu)
Per Capita Carbon Emissions (2000E): 1.3 metric tons of carbon (vs U.S. value of 5.6 metric tons of carbon)
Energy Intensity (2000E): 16,631 Btu/$1995 (vs U.S. value of 10,919 Btu/$1995)**
Carbon Intensity (2000E): 0.27 metric tons of carbon/thousand $1995 (vs U.S. value of 0.17 metric tons/thousand $1995)**
Sectoral Share of Energy Consumption (1998E): Industrial (52.2%), Transportation (25.4%), Residential (10.9%), Commercial (11.5%)
Sectoral Share of Carbon Emissions (1998E): Industrial (51.9%), Transportation (30.2%), Residential (7.3%), Commercial (10.6%)
Fuel Share of Energy Consumption (2000E): Oil (50.0%), Natural Gas (40.9%), Coal (4.8%)
Fuel Share of Carbon Emissions (2000E): Oil (56.1%), Natural Gas (36.6%), Coal (7.3%)
Renewable Energy Consumption (1998E): 110.2 trillion Btu* (17% increase from 1997)
Number of People per Motor Vehicle (1998): 5.8 (vs U.S. value of 1.3)
Status in Climate Change Negotiations: Non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (ratified July 13th, 1994). Signatory to the Kyoto Protocol (signed March 12th, 1999 - not yet ratified).
Major Environmental Issues: Air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires.
Major International Environmental Agreements: A party to Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94.

* The total energy consumption statistic includes petroleum, dry natural gas, coal, net hydro, nuclear, geothermal, solar, wind, wood and waste electric power. The renewable energy consumption statistic is based on International Energy Agency (IEA) data and includes hydropower, solar, wind, tide, geothermal, solid biomass and animal products, biomass gas and liquids, industrial and municipal wastes. Sectoral shares of energy consumption and carbon emissions are also based on IEA data.
**GDP based on EIA International Energy Annual 2000

OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES
Organization: Malaysia's national petroleum corporation, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), was formed in 1974. Petronas controls oil production through partnerships with Exxon (Esso Production Malaysia) and Shell (Sabah Shell Petroleum, Sarawak Shell Berhad, and Sarawak Shell/Petronas Carigali)
Major Foreign Oil Company Involvement: BP Amoco, Conoco, Enron, ExxonMobil, Lundin Oil, Murphy Oil, Nippon Mitsubishi Oil, Occidental, Shell, Texaco, Triton
Major Oil Fields: Bekok, Bokor, Erb West, Bunga Kekwa, Guntong, Kepong, Kinabalu Pulai, Samarang, Seligi, Semangkok, Tapis, Temana, Tiong
Major Natural Gas Fields: Bedong, Bintang, Damar, Jerneh, Laho, Lawit, Noring, Pilong, Resak, Telok, Tujoh
Major Oil Refineries (capacity - bbl/d): Port Dickson-Shell (155,000), Melaka I (95,000), Melaka II (95,000), Kerteh-Petronas (40,000), Port Dickson-Esso (84,500), Lutong-Shell (45,000)
Major Oil Pipelines: Malaysia-Singapore pipeline, planned Malaysia - Songkhla (Thailand) product pipeline
Major Oil Terminals: Bintulu, Johor Baharu, Kerteh, Kuching, Melaka, Penang, Port Dickson, Port Kelang

Sources for this report include: Asiaweek; Bernama News Agency; Dow Jones Newswire service; Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire; Oil and Gas Journal; Petroleum Economist; Petroleum Intelligence Weekly; New Straits Times; Project Finance; U.S. Energy Information Administration; DRI/WEFA Asia Economic Outlook; World Gas Intelligence.