The Beginning of Shell, Aeilko Jans Zijklert, a 20-year-old tobacco planter in East Java, moved to Sumatra's East Coast in
1880 as soon as government declared this area open for plantations . During his travels around the island, he had come across
traces of oil which on analysis proved to contain about 62 per cent paraffin (sometimes called kerosene). Delighted with his
discovery, he resigned his position, acquired a licence from the local ruler, the Sultan of Langkat, and by 1884 had raised
sufficient money to drill his first well. It was dry. In the following year, he tried again at Telaga Said near the village
of Pangkalan Brandan in North Sumatra. This time he was sucessful. He struck oil and his new well, known as Telaga Tunggal
No 1, began to produce in commercial quantities.
Interestingly NGE has found a similar seep trend in its PPL 267 licence south of the Paradise Prospect.
Representatives of NGE have sampled the seep and preliminary analysis by Geotechnical Services Pty Ltd, Perth Australia confirms:
"the sample is of moderate thermal maturity, based on the MPI of 0.76 (vitrinite reflectance equivalence of 0.86%). There is some minor
evaporation loss of light end hydrocarbons and only minor alteration due to biodegradation. The oil shows a significant contribution of
organic matter from marine sources based on, for example, the high C27/C29 diasterane ratio of 2.27. The biomarker distributions attest
to deposition of the associated source rocks in an open marine, anoxic environment. This is further supported by the low pristane to
phytane ratio of 0.97."
