The green pumps
Slow motion on the lawns.
Yu Chu Chin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yu Chu Chin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pangalau — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pangalau — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pangalau — CC BY-SA 4.0
Seria lies in Belait District, about 65 km west of the capital, where oil was first struck in Brunei in 1929. It remains the centre of the oil and gas industry, with «nodding donkey» pumps dotted among its lawns and along its roads, an unusual sight for anyone interested in the country's modern history. It was once known as Padang Berawa, and its present name comes from a nearby river. The British Malayan Petroleum Company completed the first commercial well in 1929, production began in 1931 and exports in 1932. On the Japanese landing in December 1941 the British destroyed the field, Australian forces liberated the town in June 1945 and production resumed that November. Along the roads you see green pumps moving slowly, big white tanks and a gas flare on the skyline, among neat grass and palms. The Seria Crude Oil Terminal sign stands among flags and gardens. The town's coast is a strip listed as an Important Bird Area, with tidal flats, mangroves and beach forest. It is 20 km east of Kuala Belait. The open views centre on the Billionth Barrel Monument, so start there. Do not enter oil installations or cross fences, and respect signs banning pictures. Low roads can flood in the rainy season, so check them first. Alcohol is not sold in Brunei and food is generally halal, so it suits families.
Slow motion on the lawns.
On the skyline.
Flats and mangroves.
Belait District, western Brunei
No, installations are closed, and you see pumps from the road.
Yes, with Kuala Belait and the Billionth Barrel Monument.
