KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), has made six oil and gas discoveries in five blocks off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia.
The Gedombak well in Block SK306 and the Mirdanga well in Block SK411 (in the Balingian province), the Sinsing well in Block SK313, the Machinchang and Pangkin wells in Block SK301B, and the Kalung Emas well in Block SK315 (in the West Luconia province), stem from new and existing group of oil fields and exhibit low levels of contaminants.
The discoveries were achieved on the back of an intensive domestic exploration drilling campaign commenced in late 2022 that had also led to the discovery that year of Nahara-1 in Block SK306, a significant oil discovery by Petronas Carigali within the last decade.
Petronas executive vice president and chief executive officer of upstream Datuk Adif Zulkifli said this string of successful discoveries clearly shows the still untapped exploration potential of Malaysia's basins, waiting to be discovered by companies who are willing to adopt new and innovative ways.
"We hope these will provide the impetus for more companies to participate and invest in Malaysia's upstream sector, especially in the exploration front," he said in a statement today.
This achievement is also attributed to Petronas Carigali's innovative "clustered exploration" approach, a unique style of prospecting suited for highly matured geological provinces.
Meanwhile, Petronas vice president of exploration Mohd Redhani Abdul Rahman said these discoveries are the result of their exploration teams' willingness to challenge norms and defy long- standing dogmas.
"We are highly encouraged by our early success and will continue enhancing our efforts," he added. Looking ahead, Petronas Carigali is determined to replicate the success of this approach in its other exploration ventures in Malaysia. With a keen focus on ensuring energy security while supporting the energy transition, the company aims to leverage on its expertise and techniques to continue driving growth and innovation.