Published on June 23, 2023

 

2022 marks another milestone for Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) as it celebrates its Champion field’s 50th anniversary. Let’s recount its early beginning. 

A BIG NEW BEGINNING

The Champion field that we know so well today started with “Big John”, the drilling rig that hailed all the way from the U.S in 1970. Located 40 kilometres offshore from Berakas water, the field was aptly named after its location on the Champion shoal. 

By May of the same year, the exploration well was production tested, and hydrocarbon presence was further confirmed – and so began the journey of the largest producing field for BSP today. 

But the road to full-on production was not immediate. It was only in 1972 that the first producing oil flowed from the Champion 4 (CP-4) well on the Champion Drilling Platform 1 (CPDP-1). Soon after, the oil made its way from the offshore production station to the onshore Seria Terminal, now known as Seria Crude Oil Terminal (SCOT), approximately 100 kilometres away.  

Since then, the field has played a significant role in enabling BSP to contribute to the development of the country and the nation of Brunei Darussalam.

A FIELD OF FIRSTS 

Boasting several technical firsts in its life, Champion’s history of firsts began only one year into its production. 

By 1973, Champion became the first field to launch a jacket from a vessel into the water, for its CPDP-4 platform. This practice was commonly executed via lifting by crane barges, however due to the size and weight of the jacket, a launch from a ship was required instead.

Less than a decade later, a new method of launching was devised for Champion’s Drilling Platform AL. The jacket was launched from the stern of a barge sideways (side-launched), and the procedure marked a first in the industry for both Brunei and Shell worldwide. 

Continuing its records of firsts, in 1982, the Champion 3D seismic survey was proposed to improve the structural interpretation of the massive Champion oilfield. The two-boat operation consequently saw the acquisition of the seismic data in the world by 1983. 

By mid 2000s, Champion recorded two more firsts as it executed the installation of Brunei’s first SMART platform on Champion West, before achieving the completion of the longest snake well in Champion West Phase 3A field in 2006. 

GROWING FOR THE FUTURE 

While its beginning started with a humble platform, Champion has grown well into the massive complex it is today. With 46 offshore structures built and more than 420 wells erected, totalling to 850 kilometres in distance – Champion has been a marvel for progress. 

In its 50 years of life, Champion has produced more than 900 million barrels of oil equivalent, enabling 50 years of powering Bruneian homes, schools, and hospitals. And behind these achievements are generations of talented workforce who undoubtedly will help propel Champion into a greater future paving the road for BSP to sustainably power Brunei.