Shell has announced deep-water gas discovery off Malaysia. The Rosmari-1, located 135km offshore in Block SK318, was drilled to a total depth of 2,123m and encountered more than 450m of gas column.

The company is planning further exploration and marks the finding as a positive indicator of the gas potential in an area of strategic interest.

Shell Upstream International director Andy Brown said that the company is expanding and rejuvenating heartlands across its exploration portfolio, including in Brunei, Australia and the Gulf of Mexico.

"Rosmari-1 is a testament to our ability to successfully drill and build understanding of new geology within our existing exploration heartlands, adding value to our existing assets in Malaysia," Brown added.

Shell Malaysia chairman Iain Lo said, "This adds to Shell’s sequence of recent exploration successes in Malaysia, with these discoveries expanding the company’s heartlands positions."

Shell owns 85% interest in the Block SK318 while the remaining 15% is held by PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd.
Block SK318 is located about 200km offshore in water depths of between 200 to 1000m.