Lloyds List: Technology Champion for Brunei Shell : BRUNEI Shell Petroleum has installed one of the world's most technologically advanced production platforms on the Champion West field to extract oil from one of the country's largest undeveloped fields.”: Tuesday Sep 13, 2005

BRUNEI Shell Petroleum has installed one of the world's most technologically advanced production platforms on the Champion West field to extract oil from one of the country's largest undeveloped fields.

Shell will use smart field technology to exploit the oil reserves from Champion West and installed the platform last month. It is set to begin drilling complex production wells into the reservoir, including long horizontal wells that Shell is calling 'snake wells', in October.

The platform, fabricated in Brunei, features the largest topsides built by BSP's facilities in Kuala Belait, at 1,200 tonnes, and will be normally unmanned.

'This development brings together a number of cutting edge technologies including long horizontal snake wells, downhole fibre-optic pressure and temperature sensors and remote control connections to the shoreline,' said BSP managing director Grahaeme Henderson.

'The result will be improved reserves recovery and reduced development costs for this key asset.'

BSP uses smart well technology on other fields including Iron Duke and South West Ampa.

- In Indonesia, Santos has struck more oil on its Jeruk discovery after drilling an appraisal well that flowed at rates of 3,000 barrels per day. The test has renewed the Australian oil firm's confidence that Jeruk's oil reserves will be bigger than 170m barrels. 

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