Abstract

The paper discusses the exploration efforts and successes achieved in Malaysia under production-sharing contracts in the 5-year period from 1977–1981.

At the end of 1976, PETRONAS signed 5 production-sharing contracts with SHELL and ESSO for areas offshore Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. In the 5-year period, over 52,900 line-km of seismic were acquired and 202 exploratory and appraisal wells drilled, resulting in 45 new hydrocarbons finds of significance.

Most of the oil and gas finds were made in the Tertiary sediments of the Malay Basin which had been relatively unexplored prior to 1977. Oil and gas finds were also made in the relatively more mature and geologically more complex exploration provinces of Sabah and Sarawak. The J4 discovery in Sarawak opened up a new precarbonate exploration play in the Central and SW Luconia and NW Balingian Provinces.

The high level of exploration activity has resulted in a substantial increase in Malaysia’s remaining petroleum reserves. The 5-year period has also seen the emergence of the Malay Basin, offshore Trengganu as the most prolific hydrocarbon province in Malaysia to date.