MIRI: Visitors, especially history enthusiasts coming over to Miri, the second largest city in Sarawak, must not leave without visiting the wooden derrick oil well that was erected some 261 feet above sea level.
HISTORICAL ATTRACTION: The Grand Old Lady is the first oil well in Malaysia and situated at Canada Hill, Miri. BELOW: The Grand Old Lady viewed from another angle.
FRIENDLY CRAWLY: A young boy being persuaded by the snakeman at Miri Crocodile Farm near Kuala Baram to pose for a picture with his pet python. One snap shot would be charged RM5.
LIVING DINOSAUR: Miri Crocodile Farm near Kuala Baram is home to many salt water crocodiles and also for other land and water animal species. It is a very popular tourist spot and animal sanctuary.
Called the Grand Old Lady, it was the first oil well in Malaysia also referred to as Oil Well No 1 that had its first production in 1910.
According to the record, the well produced oil for 62 years before it was closed on Oct 1, 1972 but the wooden derrick was never removed.
It is estimated that over that period of time this oil well produced some 658,650 barrels of oil though only a mere 7 barrels daily before ceasing operation.
In 1973 , the oil well was handed over to the Sarawak state government at a simple ceremony by Shell managing director J Van Dam to the late Minister of Land and Mineral Resources at that time, (later Tan Sri Datuk Amar) Dr Sulaiman Daud.
Due to its sentimental value to the residents of Miri, the Sarawak state government on July 10, 1985, restored the Grand Old Lady and accorded her status as one of the state’s historical monuments.
Situated at Canada Hill, the memorial site also houses a museum-cum-information centre and is a joint venture project between Sarawak, Shell Malaysia and Petronas.
The Petroleum Museum exhibits photographs and information on the petroleum industry and was opened in 2005. It is open from 9am to 4.30pm daily except on public holidays.