Large reserves of natural gas were discovered off the coast of Bintulu in 1969 . Following this , a feasibility study was done in 1975 , and Tanjung Kidurong was found to be a suitable site for a deep @-@ water port . On 14 June 1978 , Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd ( MLNG Satu ) was established by Petronas , a Malaysian national oil and gas company for Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) processing at Bintulu . On 8 July 1978 , the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) was established by the Sarawak state government for infrastructure development and to promote industrial investment in the area . On 15 August 1981 , the Bintulu Port Authority was established at Tanjung Kidurong , starting operation on 1 January 1983 . Since the establishment of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy ( SCORE ) in 2008 , Bintulu become the gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park , which is located 62 kilometres ( 39 mi ) away from Bintulu . The industrial park is a centre of heavy , energy @-@ intensive industry . Among the companies that started their operations in the industrial park are Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd , Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd , and OM Materials Sdn Bhd .