Leighton Offshore : Iraq ghost and the way forward

Leighton Offshore's new CEO Boyd Merrett talks abouth the group's strategy for the region and in the Middle East. Leighton Offshore is in the business of building and maintaining offshore structures, which is seeing an intense increase in competition. In the interview he talks about: 

- The outlook for the region and how Leighton Offshore is finding its niche in a competitive market. Merrett feels that there is more than enough room in the market for the various players. 

- He also says that Leighton Offshore is keen on gaining a part of Petronas' RM300 billion capital expenditure plan, but is currently on the lookout for local partners. He also acknowledges the presence of big local giants such as SapuraKencana and says its one of the main competitors. 

- Leighton Offshore was also embroiled in a graft scandal in Iraq early last year that resulted in the firing of a senior manager. Merrett talks about how the company is bouncing back from the scandal and how to avoid it happening again. 

- He also touched on the most recent scandal in Tanzania, where the officials say there is a missing clause in the contract that it signed with Leighton Offshore, which could result in the Tanzania Port Authority footing the bill. 

- Leighton Offshore is also looking to consolidate some of its units within Malaysia.