Sarawak Shell Berhad (SSB), a subsidiary of Shell, has made a final investment decision to develop the Timi sweet gas field, which is about 120 miles from the coast of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The project is expected to boost Malaysia’s exports of liquefied natural gas.
The unmanned platform, which weighs 60% less than a typical Tender Assisted Drilling (TAD) wellhead platform, will be Shell’s first Malaysian wellhead platform to be powered by wind and solar power. At peak production, the platform should be capable of pumping 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of gas, which Shell says it will transport via a 50-mile pipeline to the F23 production hub.
Like many European oil majors, Shell has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2050, and it has already launched a range of carbon-neutral lubricant products. Nevertheless, the company still sees a need for oil and gas in the short-to-medium term, and renewably powered platforms is one way to reduce the emissions from production.
In a statement, Shell’s Upstream Director, Wael Sawan, said about the decision:
“Timi, which is powered by a solar and wind hybrid power system, demonstrates Shell’s capabilities to innovate and deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable projects, in line with our commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in step with society.”
Sawan added that the company was happy to be moving forward with this project in a manner that is both responsible and competitive, highlighting how the upstream business continues to play a role in Shell’s strategy, while supporting Malaysia’s economic growth.
