Asia Energy

In late February, the Philippine’s Department of Energy announced it was forging ahead with plans to offer 15 offshore territories to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration. The secretary of energy, Jose Almendras, said the government hoped to award contracts to the winning bidders this month, underscoring the government’s desire for work to begin as soon as possible.

Change is in the air for Malaysia’s power sector, with recent developments including bids on new facilities and change of ownership for old ones. Government oversight has also been evolving, throwing up questions about what the sector’s make up will be in the near term.

Expectations that Papua New Guinea (PNG) will emerge as a major energy supplier for Asia’s growth leaders in the next decade have been heightened by reports of progress on two major liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants currently under development.

As hydrocarbons production in maturing blocks has declined and domestic energy consumption has increased, the Indonesian government has been looking for ways to boost investment in the country’s upstream oil and gas sector. Some of the measures the government has undertaken have proved effective at attracting investors, including increased incentives and a more flexible production sharing contract (PSC) framework introduced in 2008. However, regulations that were implemented in early January 2011 may have the opposite effect.

With a radical overhaul of its energy sector planned, Brunei Darussalam is looking to ramp up production at the wellhead while expanding downstream activities through a long-term programme that is intended to quadruple national revenue and boost employment.

With significant recent gas discoveries off the coast of Sabah, excitement about the country’s future as an oil and gas producer is growing. In the meantime, the national oil giant Petronas is moving forward with its plans to ensure Sabahans receive the necessary training to meet the need for skilled workers in the oil and gas fields.