Oil platform on land, photo taken by Rick Kimpel on March 17, 2006. Licensed under: CC BY-SA 2.0
Four the purpose of oil and gas exploration and production in Cambodia, 19 Onshore Blocks (I to XIX) have been mapped out. These blocks are undeveloped, with only 3 contracts granted for exploration:1
- Block XII: Located west of the Tonle Sap Lake, awarded to Medco Energy and JHL Petroleum.
- Block XV: Located east of the Tonle Sap Lake in Kampong Thom province, awarded to PetroVietnam.
- Block XVII: In Preah Vihear, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom provinces, this block covers 6,500km2. A contract was awarded to Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation.
However, in early 2016 a Ministry of Mines and Energy official was reported as saying that there was only one active onshore block, Block XV, and that PetroVietnam, a Vietnamese state-owned oil and gas firm, was set to conduct exploratory drilling later in the year.2
In late 2014 reports quoted Diep Sareiviseth, deputy director general in charge of international petroleum affairs at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, as saying that Cambodia planned to invite bids for its onshore oil and gas exploration blocks.3 No timeline for the process was set out.
Last updated: 30 January 2016
Related to On-shore oil and gas exploration and extraction
References
- 1. Domenico Ferrari, 2015. Oil and gas projects in Cambodia: A regulatory framework and commentary on prospects for investors. Nabarro, 26 February 2015.
- 2. Ananth Baliga 2016. ‘Malaysian firm’s exploration license nixed ministry hits pay dirt in ’15’. The Phnom Penh Post, 21 January 2016. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/malaysian-firms-exploration-contract-nixed accessed 30 January 2016.
- 3. Cheang Chee Yew, 2014. ‘Cambodia seeks to rekindle petroleum investors’ interests’, Rigzone News, November 12, 2014
