Brunei has achieved new success in oil exploration as it made its first significant onshore discovery in 37 years with its Layang-Layang well in the Lumut area. The Layang-Layang oil and gas discovery is the first of its kind as it confirms a new geological concept called a Shale diapir trap, which was interpreted from seismic data and Brunei field outcrop studies. What makes this discovery particularly remarkable is the application of new, advanced seismic processing technology to existing older data. This new technology enabled the successful \and safe drilling of the Layang-Layang well. The exact volumes of the well are yet to be evaluated but initial calculations indicate that the target of 18 million barrels of oil equivalent has likely been exceeded. The potential revenues are equivalent to approximately 15 per cent of the country’s annual budget of $4 billion in 2016.
