Sapura Starts Up First Gas Field

Sapura Exploration and Production (Sapura E&P), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sapura Energy, has commenced production at the B15 natural gas field offshore Sarawak, Malaysia, it said Sapura Energy said March 22.

The B15 gas field development is a maiden gas development project for Sapura E&P and the first gas milestone was achieved within two years of the sanction of its field development plan, the company said.

The B15 field was discovered in December 2010 and is located within the SK310 production sharing contract area, offshore Sarawak, East Malaysia. The development comprises a processing platform with a 35-kilometre evacuation pipeline tied into the existing B11 infrastructure for onwards transmission into the Malaysia LNG complex at Bintulu, Sarawak.

“This milestone achievement at B15 was achieved on schedule and within budget. Sapura E&P has made significant gas discoveries over the past two years. The development plans for these discoveries are progressing well and should come on stream over the next two to five years. Once fully developed we expect Sapura E&P to be a significant supplier of natural gas into the Bintulu MLNG complex,' said Sapura Energy president Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Shahril Shamsuddin.

Sapura has a 30% participating interest; partners are Malaysian state Petronas with 40% and Mitsubishi Corp subsidiary Diamond Energy Sarawak 30%.

One day earlier, on March 21, Sapura Energy secured a key role as contractor at the Pegaga gas field development by Mubadala, Petronas and Shell, also offshore Sarawak.