Otto STRAUB

Dipl. Ing. ETH and chartered surveyor (Grundbuchgeometer).

After his graduation in 1921 he worked for a brief time in Amriswil (with Geometer Müller) before getting the position of assistant to ETH Professor Wolfer with a salary of 250.- francs/month. Professor Wolfer proposed him to the “Swiss Commission” charged with the delimitation of the border between Columbia and Venezuela near Cucuta and in Zulia area.

1924 he applied for a position with Shell Oil Company and was trained in Potsdam to operate one of the first gravimeters. End of 1924 Shell sent him to North Borneo (Brunei) to explore the jungle area near todays Seria for anomalies in the gravity of the underground, hinting at possible oil deposits. A test drilling in 1927 proved that his work was successful and (the still productive) Sungai Seria field became operational. The discovery that made the Sultan of Brunei one of the richest person in Asia.After his home leave in 1928 he worked for about one year in East Borneo (Kalimantan) near the existing Samarinda oil fields. In August 1929 he was transferred to the eastern part of Java for gravimetric exploration. Less than a year later his health started to fail and the local doctors recommended that he returns to Europe. In December 1930 Shell terminated his contract.After his arrival in Zuerich he returned to the ETH for additional studies in order to pass the certification as chartered surveyor. In 1933 he took over the office of the deceased surveyor Allenspach in Gossau/SG.

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