1.
LS THE BEACH IN MIRI
3 1/2 ft

2.
LS SUN RISES PAN TO DERRICK
7 1/2 ft

3.
MS HELICOPTER LANDING ON DERRICK
12 1/2 ft

4.
MS WORKMEN ON DERRICK
14 ft

5.
LS PRESSMEN AT DRILLING SITE (THREE SHOTS)
20 1/2 ft

6.
MLS WORKMEN AT SITE
23 1/2 ft

7.
MC DRILLING PAN TO PRESSMEN
27 ft

8.
CU WORKMEN
29 1/2 ft

9.
CU DRILLING
31 ft

10.
MS PRESSMEN TILT TO DERRICK
36 ft

11.
LS DERRICK IN SEA
39 ft



Initials CR/S/MK/CLA/AMR



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE SHELL COMPANY HAS LAUNCHED A SEARCH FOR OIL IN SARAWAK AND BRUNEI ON A GRAND SCALE.

"ORIENT EXPLORER" - A SELF-CONTAINED FLOATING ISLAND FOR OIL EXPLORATION DRILLING - HAS WORKED ON TWENTY-SIX AREAS IN BORNEO, ELEVEN OF THEM IN SARAWAK.

THE OPERATION IS COSTING THE COMPANY FORTY THOUSAND MALAYAN DOLLARS A DAY AND TWO MILLION DOLLARS FOR DRILLING EACH SITE.

IT TAKES SIX TO SEVEN DAYS TO DECIDE THE RESULT OF EACH DRILLING, SUCH AS TIN ORE, ONE AND A HALF MILES OFFSHORE FROM MIRI IN SARAWAK.

IN POSTWAR YEARS, THE SHELL COMPANY HAD SPENT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND TEN MILLION MALAYAN DOLLARS IN DRILLING EXPLORATIONS IN BRITISH BORNEO, WHICH CONTAINS THE COMMONWEALTH'S SECOND LARGEST OILFIELDS.

THE SEARCH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE RICH OILFIELDS AT SERIA IN BRUNEI ARE GRADUALLY DECREASING IN OIL PRODUCTION FROM 115,000 BARRELS PER DAY IN THE PEAK YEAR OF 1956 TO 79,000 BARRELS PER DAY IN 1962. THE OILFIELDS AT MIRI IN SARAWAK ARE VIRTUALLY EXHAUSTED.

PRESSMEN FROM ALL OVER BORNEO WERE INVITED TO THE DRILLING SITE BY THE COMPANY ON THE DAY OF BEGINNING A NEW DRILLING OFF MIRI.