TOTAL E&P BORNEO BV

With over 25 years of experience in the Brunei oil and gas market, Total E&P Borneo BV (TEPB) is an upstream energy company committed to providing the world with products and ser- vices that are more innovative, efficient and accessible.
“Total’s 20-year ambition is to become a responsible energy major by providing reliable, affordable and clean energy in the long run. This is done via embedding safety as Total’s core value, striving for operational perfor- mance and efficiency,” said Mr. Vincent Dutel, TEPB’s General Manager.

He added, “We must anticipate changes and be ready for the future today. To achieve Total’s ambition, the Conquest 2020 project was launched. The project aims to develop the individual and collective behaviours required to achieve our goal for 2020: to be the most profitable and sustainable exploration and pro- duction (E&P) business.”

The Conquest 2020 project also seeks to implement cost optimisation, innovation and lean practices which require new ways of working in the day-to-day operations.

The Maharaja Lela South project is one of TEPB’s greatest successes. Mr. Dutel recalled the project’s achievements, commenting that it was completed with a 40 per cent saving in initial estimated cost and has recorded a total of almost six million man hours with Zero (0) Lost Time Injury (LTI).

The TEPB General Manager also highlighted the project’s other achievements. “With time, we carried out a continuous exploration and appraisal programme. We managed to identify deeper panels and paved the way for a new development phase. This new phase appeared
to be more challenging than the previous one, especially as the targeted geological panels were deeper, that is, higher pressure and higher temperature. Therefore, the ML-5 exploration well drilled in 2010 and discover- ing Maharaja Lela South extension became the deepest well ever drilled in Brunei.”

The development of the Maharaja Lela South project’s resources was decided in 2014 and required implementing cutting edge tech- nology such as the drilling of High Pressure and High Temperature (HPHT) wells. It also required the construction and installation of a new offshore platform, MLJ3 platform, and associated subsea pipelines which increased the production capacity of their Onshore Processing Plant from 40,000 to 50,000 Barrels of Oil Equivalent per Day (BOE/D).

The new infrastructures extended the produc- tion plateau and ensured that liquefied natural gas production is sustainable. Furthermore, the project generated spinoff business oppor- tunities for local vendors and contractors, contributing towards local business activities.

As an established oil and gas company, TEPB recognises the importance of placing safety first in its operations.

“Safety remains a core value in all of Total’s operations worldwide. In Brunei, I am proud to share that as of December 2017, Total has achieved more than 18 years with Zero (0) LTI. The achievement was possible only with the continuous support, contribution and effort given by all the staff and contractors when per- forming their day-to-day operations. Recently, TEPB received a certificate of appreciation from Petroleum Brunei for two million man hours worked in 2017 without an LTI,” said Mr. Dutel.

he company continuously conducts various activi- ties, such as emergency exercises as well as safety talks to ensure safety measures are well imple- mented throughout its day-to-day operations.

Supporting Local Development

As of December 2017, 70 per cent of the company’s workforce is local. Within the Management team TEPB is proud to share that 50 per cent of the team is already filled by locals. The company remains committed to the localisation of its workforce in line with Brunei Vision 2035 and through its corporate social responsibility initiatives. This is made pos- sible through competency assessment, skills gap analysis and on-the-job training.

Mr. Dutel also elaborated on TEPB’s other corpo- rate social responsibility programmes. The Total Education Scholarship Scheme provides students with opportunities to study abroad in France from pre-university to postgraduate level; meanwhile the Headquarter Total Education unit offers the Total Summer School Program and Total Education Energy Seminars to selected students from UBD and UTB.

TEPB also welcomed interns and attachment stu- dents from local institutions such as UBD and UTB, integrating them into its operations. For instance, trainees from the Energy Industry Competency Framework (EICF) programme were able to take part in the Maharaja Lela South project by being involved in the fabrication works of the platform jacket, fully locally made.

Additionally, the company made significant contri- butions to the construction of the Hands On Training Skid (HOTS) known as the Mini Plant at the IBTE Jefri Bolkiah campus, with the aim of enhancing the training experience of students to be industry-ready.

Also part of the company’s corporate social respon- sibility efforts is the forging of partnerships with various government agencies in the discovery and excavation project of The Brunei Shipwreck.