Shell starts production at Timi gas field in Sarawak

Sarawak Shell Berhad (SSB), a subsidiary of Shell plc, has started gas production at its Timi gas field located around 252 kilometres north-west of Bintulu and 202 kilometres north-west of Miri, Sarawak, under the SK318 production sharing contract (PSC).

The gas field, which was discovered in 2018, is developed as part of the SK318 PSC, with SSB as the operator holding 75 per cent equity, according to The New Straits Times. 

The other two partners are PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd (15 per cent) and Brunei Energy Exploration (10 per cent).

Timi is designed to produce up to 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of gas at peak production and will evacuate its gas through a new 80-kilometre pipeline to the F23 production hub. 

It features Shell's first wellhead platform in Malaysia that is powered by a solar and wind hybrid power system.

This unmanned platform is also more cost-efficient as a result of being around 60 per cent lighter in weight than a conventional tender-assisted drilling wellhead platform that relies on oil and gas for power.

"Timi demonstrates we are delivering more value with less emissions," said Zoe Yujnovich, Shell's integrated gas and upstream director.

"Bringing the project online is also an example of our focus on performance, discipline, and simplification. 

"It shows our ability to innovate and deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable projects that support a balanced energy transition for Malaysia."

The project supports future growth in the central Luconia area, off the coast of Sarawak, she said in a statement.

Yujnovich said Shell is proud of its long and successful history in Malaysia.

She said under the stewardship of Malaysia Petroleum Management, PETRONAS, Shell remains committed to supporting the country's economic progress and energy transition efforts with competitive and resilient investments.

Prior to Timi, Shell Malaysia's first fully solar-powered wellhead platform, the Gorek field, located 145 kilometres offshore Malaysia, achieved its first gas production on May 24, 2020.

In 2022, Shell Malaysia took a final investment decision on the Rosmari-Marjoram gas project, the largest integrated offshore and onshore project in Sarawak, which will be primarily powered by renewable energy. 

The offshore platform will use power from 240 solar panels, while the onshore plant is connected to the Sarawak grid system, which is supplied mainly by hydroelectric plants.