Murphy Oil announces its first production off Malaysia

June 4, 2003
Murphy Oil Corp. said its West Patricia oil field in Block SK 308 off Sarawak, Malaysia, has come on stream according to schedule and within budget. Production started 16 months after the project was sanctioned.

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, June 4 -- Murphy Oil Corp. said its West Patricia oil field in Block SK 308 off Sarawak, Malaysia, has come on stream according to schedule and within budget. Production started 16 months after the project was sanctioned.

Murphy Sarawak Oil Co. Ltd. operates the block with 85% interest (OGJ, Mar. 11, 2002, p. 9). Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd., the production division of state-owned Petronas, holds 15% interest.

West Patricia is 40 km off Bintulu, Sarawak, in 130 ft of water. The initial development phase included a single production platform and a floating, storage, and offloading facility.

Later phases will include installation of additional production platforms and the drilling of more develpment wells. Initial gross production is expected to quickly ramp up to 15,000 b/d of oil.