40 years of Erawan - Driving Thailand’s progress and future

40 years of Erawan - Driving Thailand’s progress and future

Erawan gas field
Erawan gas field

Turning 40 marks a milestone in a person’s journey in life. The accumulation of four decades of life experience, lessons learned in work and in life, and earned wisdom helps guide and prepare a person in their seasoned adulthood for any challenges and opportunities that will arise in their future.

From the early days of Thailand’s energy landscape, when the nation relied heavily on imported energy and petroleum exploration and production was barely breaking ground, today Erawan, Thailand’s first natural gas field, operated by Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Ltd., has been powering Thailand with its supplies of natural gas for 40 years. Over this time, it has fuelled industry booms and driven economic growth nationwide while also cultivating home-grown talents and laying a solid foundation for the future of energy in Thailand. 

Discovering energy that fuels Thailand’s growth 

Erawan gas production in the early days

Erawan began the commercial production of natural gas for the first time on August 17, 1981 or 40 years ago. The production of first gas at Erawan marked the beginning of a new era for the kingdom, where Thailand is on the path to increasing energy security and energy independence. Erawan’s natural gas has been used to generate electricity for households and the industrial sector, jumpstarting national economic growth of both agricultural and industrial sectors. The gas has also served as feedstock for the petrochemical industry and related industries, leading to the development of the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand as a strategic and competitive base for key industries, including the petrochemical industry. The project helps maximise the value of natural gas delivered to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), attracting domestic and foreign investment, creating employment opportunities, and generating income for local communities and more.

Powering human energy that secures Thailand’s energy future 

Petroleum technician training at Settapat Center

A skilled workforce is key to safe and successful oil and gas operation missions. However, 40 years ago, since petroleum exploration and production was a novel concept in Thailand, very few locals had relevant education or professional experience in preparation for employment in the petroleum industry. With that in mind, Chevron in 1980 established the “Settapat Center”, a world-class petroleum technician school with state-of-the-art training facilities in Songkhla. The Center provides multi-skill training programmes to prepare high-potential personnel for their future missions at Erawan.

Boonlom Sengsamran

Boonlom Sengsamran, former Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) at Erawan, was one of 45 Thai trainees selected to participate in Settapat Center’s first ever 1-year petroleum technician training programme. 

“At first, nearly all offshore personnel operating at Erawan were foreign nationals,” he recalls. “Thai personnel gained first-hand knowledge by working with them. Over time, more and more Thai staff have been entrusted with key offshore roles. In 2014, during my last year at Erawan, the majority of personnel were Thai. These qualified personnel are the result of Chevron’s continued development of home-grown talents.”

If Erawan is the offshore training ground where local personnel are given hands-on and on-the-job training at sea, the “Settapat Center” is the onshore academy that trains up new recruits into fit-for-duty, skilled petroleum technicians through practical and theoretical courses. Over the past 40 years, a total of 60 classes comprising over 1,700 petroleum technicians and related personnel have graduated from the Center. So far, the Center has provided oil and gas training programmes for over 400,000 petroleum professionals, who are now a key driving force behind the thriving energy industry in Thailand today.

Empowering energy that strives to overcome adversity 

Developing technology solutions to overcome Gulf of Thailand’s complex geology

Due to the complex geology of the basins in the Gulf of Thailand, including Erawan, the reserves are distributed in many small reservoirs of varying sizes and shapes across an area spanning over 4,500 square kilometres. As each small reservoir depletes fairly quickly when placed in production, a large number of wells are required to recover the gas to meet the output requirement stipulated in the concession agreement and thereby maintain the country’s energy security. As the cost of development and production from Erawan is high and associated with several investment risks, gas production from the field is highly price sensitive.

Chevron overcame Erawan’s geological challenges by introducing technologies suitable for Thailand’s landscape to enable maximum efficiency with an appropriate capital investment in gas production while meeting international environmental and safety management system standards. During decades of operating in Thailand, Chevron has developed and implemented new technologies to support its operation in the Gulf of Thailand, including 3D seismic mapping, standard slim hole well drilling, remote compressor package installation on wellhead platforms, and sea water injection operations employed to increase recovery efficiency. Chevron’s innovative technologies and operation standards are widely recognised by relevant government agencies and have long set industry standards for other operators in the country. 

Driving human progress with pride 

Boonrod

Offshore personnel working at Erawan and other fields in the Gulf of Thailand have at times performed humanitarian missions, providing much-needed and often urgent assistance to sick or injured fishermen, assisting emergency childbirths at sea or rescuing stranded shark whales and sea turtles. Most recently, “Boonrod”, a dog found swimming 220 kilometres off the coast of Thailand and later adopted by Chevron’s offshore employee, became the latest in a long line of animals rescued by Chevron’s hard-working crews. Moreover, Erawan crews and offshore personnel have been giving back to society since long before the acronym CSR (corporate social responsibility) became widely known in Thailand. They often spent weeks during their off-duty breaks participating in volunteer activities. These range from building schools and playgrounds to planting trees and undertaking disaster relief missions. Included are efforts to help communities in Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi and Satun affected by the 2004 tsunami. By volunteering their talents and time, Chevron employees' spirit of giving back reflects the company's long-standing core values and commitment to making a difference in the communities it touches.

Chatit Huayhongtong

“For 40 years, natural gas from Erawan has been driving Thailand’s economic growth and social prosperity,” reflects Chatit Huayhongtong, president of Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Ltd. “Erawan is without doubt the cornerstone of Thailand’s petroleum exploration and production industry. It has introduced cutting-edge technology and innovations, and generated new knowledge and solutions while consistently setting industry standards. Indeed, Erawan is like a school that nurtures a new breed of local talent. It continues to produce qualified personnel equipped for work in the oil and gas sector and to perform the role of driving force behind the industry’s success. And that is not all. Our personnel also apply their skills, experience and energy to volunteer activities that strengthen local communities and go beyond. Erawan has built a proud and lasting legacy for all of us at Chevron, past, present and future.”

If we compare Erawan’s 40 years in service to the human life journey, this 40-year-old has undoubtedly embraced and overcome countless challenges over the course of its life. Made resilient by adversity in its past, Erawan is driven to face any hardship that lies ahead to strengthen the country’s energy security, as it has done consistently and successfully for the past 40 years.

https://thailand.chevron.com

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