Miri 1910
In 1910, now 100 years ago, the Shell/Royal Dutch Group drilled the first discovery well in Miri, Sarawak. This oil discovery changed the face of Miri from a small fishery…
In the News
Is the North Sea down and out for the count?
The third and final Geocontroversy debate at the 7th Petroleum Geology Conference last year centred on the future of one of the most mature hydrocarbon areas in the world, as…
The Dinosaur Coast
The steep, towering cliffs along the Yorkshire Coast of northern England have become a favoured field excursion destiny for petroleum geology students. Excellent analogues to the Middle Jurassic Brent reservoirs…
The First UK Giant Oil Field
The giant Forties Field was discovered in 1970, only the second oil field to be found in the UK North Sea. Originally predicted to run dry by the early 1990,…
The Cape Peninsula
Spectacular, extraordinary, awe-inspiring: Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula in South Africa are more than just a list of superlatives, with much of interest to offer the visiting geologist. It…
Western Canada’s First Oil Discovery
It took nearly a year for the cable-tool rig to reach a total depth of 427m. The Lineham No. 1 well had oil shows throughout the drilling process, and oil…
Cornwall’s Geological Treasures
“Land’s End”: is there a more evocative place name in the world? A visit to England’s furthest south-west corner reveals a land of extremes, with a wildly beautiful coast, picturesque…
GeoTourism: Gotland
Blue sky, turquoise sea, white coral beaches, a warm pleasant breeze; who could ask for more? The Caribbean is, however, oceans away. You are on Gotland, the largest island in…
An Underexplored Salt Province
A thirty year independence struggle with Ethiopia means that the natural resources of Eritrea remain largely untapped, but there is ample evidence that this now peaceful country is highly prospective…
Kurdistan: Safe and Secure, with Billion Barrel Prospects
Where in the world can you still find undrilled billion barrel prospects? Iraqi Kurdistan is one answer. But what is it like to work in an area thought by many…
The Qatar Oil Discoveries
In January 1940 (now 70 years ago), with the discovery of the onshore Dukhan oil field, Qatar joined the Middle East’s oil club. In 1960 (50 years ago), Qatar’s first…
The Smell of Crude Oil
Very few places on Earth combine stupendous scenery, recreation, and oil production. But in the central Colorado Plateau of southeast Utah, the San Juan River has carved two deep canyons…