HRH Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah along with 27 third and fourth year undergraduates yesterday embarked on a field trip to the Seria Oil and Gas Discovery Centre to learn about the business practices of BSP.

BSP West Asset Manager Haji Kamaludin bin Haji Bungsu and BSP Corporate External Affairs Advisor Dyg Hjh Masni binte Haji Munir were on hand to welcome HRH and the visiting group upon their arrival.

The visit was organised for undergraduates who are currently undertaking Public Sector Management, Strategic Public Management and Strategic Management for Public Policy.

The trip - which was part of an educational visit organised by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) - was led by Dr Hajah Sainah binte Haji Saim, a Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies of UBD.

The programme started with a business overview on BSP and its operations, which was delivered by Haji Kamaludin, who also spoke of the company's existence for 80 years, primarily for the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas from both offshore and onshore fields.

BSP is also behind 90 per cent of Brunei exports and currently has 3,300 personnel, 80 per cent of whom are locals.

Haji Kamaludin also spoke of the BSP Champion West facility, which is one of the most technically advanced offshore facilities in the world.

In 2001, BSP started utilising the Snake Well Design to improve reservoir access and reduce cost as well as the Smart Well/Field cutting edge technology which allows real time monitoring on the performance of the reservoirs and also operating the wells by remote.

Among the major projects to sustain oil production are the Seria North Flank, which is BSP's longest fish hook drilling with estimated total recoverable reserves of up to 100 million barrels of oil, and the MAMPAK oil platform project, which is designed and built locally at the Marine Construction Yard in Kuala Belait. The latter is expected to start production in a couple of months.

The programme then continued with presentations on 'Write-off Policy Procedures on BSP Properties' by BSP Group and Corporate Accountant Dk Mas Norhazilinah Pg Momin and 'Alignment of Action Plans/Operational Objectives Towards the BSP Vision' by Business Planning and Economics Department Corporate Planning Head Tim Brown. A question-and-answer session followed.

Her Royal Highness and the undergraduates also toured the exhibition gallery at the centre. - Borneo Bulletin (22nd Mar 2009)