Seria oil field
| Seria | |
|---|---|
Oil installations, c. 1967 | |
| Country | Brunei |
| Region | Belait |
| Location | Seria |
| Offshore/onshore | Onshore |
| Coordinates | 4°37′10″N 114°20′28″E / 4.6194634°N 114.3409785°E |
| Operator | Brunei Shell Petroleum |
| Owner |
|
| Field history | |
| Start of production | 1929 |
| Peak of production | 1956 |
| Production | |
| Current production of oil | 20,000 barrels per day (~10.0×105 t/a) |
| Peak of production (oil) | 115,000 barrels per day (~5.73×106 t/a) |
| Producing formations | Upper Miocene |
Seria oil field (Malay: Padang minyak Seria) is the largest oil field in northwest Borneo. It was discovered in 1929, with oil found in Upper Miocene sandstone trapped within the Seria anticline, which straddles the present-day coastline. The field has produced over one billion barrels of oil and has remained active for more than 75 years. Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) operates the field.
A pivotal moment in Brunei's economic development occurred with the discovery of oil in Seria in the late 1920s, which also played a significant role in ushering in modernity. This initial discovery was followed by further finds of natural gas, leading to continued prosperity. The discovery of oil and gas not only transformed Brunei's political, economic, and cultural landscape, but also led to constitutional changes in 1959, ending the British Resident system and paving the way towards independence.