
Petronas awards Sabah's Mutiara cluster to Dialog in first MBR 2025 Deal
KUALA LUMPUR (June 13): Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) through Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM) has awarded the first Small Field Asset Production Sharing Contract (SFA PSC) for the Mutiara Cluster offshore Sabah under the Malaysia Bid Round 2025 (MBR 2025).
The national oil company in a statement today said the contract covers a sub-block within the Sandakan Basin and was awarded to Dialog Resources Sdn Bhd (Dialog) as the sole operator with 100 per cent participating interest.
It added that the Mutiara Cluster is the first PSC awarded under MBR 2025 and is expected to achieve first production by 2029.
It said the Mutiara Cluster consists of five fields, namely Nymphe, Nymphe North, Kuda Terbang, Benrinnes, and Mutiara Hitam.
'Strategically positioned off the coast of Sabah's East Coast, the SFA PSC is envisioned as a catalyst to open up Sandakan Basin for further exploration.
'It also supports broader value creation and local participation, in line with Petronas' aspiration to unlock Malaysia's position as an attractive destination for upstream investments,' it said.
MPM senior vice president Datuk Bacho Pilong said the award of the Mutiara Cluster marks progress in tapping the untapped potential of Sabah's East Coast.
'We welcome Dialog as a valued partner in this journey to deliver early and sustainable value from the Sandakan Basin.
'This award reflects the growing confidence in Malaysia's upstream opportunities and the competitive terms offered under MBR 2025.
'As an industry shaper, MPM remains committed to facilitating impactful partnerships and catalysing investments that not only advance national energy aspirations but also uplift regional development in collaboration with the Sabah State Government,' he said.
He added that MPM is also looking forward to welcoming more investors to Block SB505, another key opportunity offered under MBR 2025 to unlock the Sandakan Basin's full potential. MBR 2025 oil and gas Petronas sabah
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Daily Express
4 hours ago
- Daily Express
Petronas pushes boundaries to shape Malaysia's upstream future
Published on: Sunday, August 10, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 10, 2025 Text Size: Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia is positioning itself as a premier upstream oil and gas investment destination, driven by the opening of new hydrocarbon frontiers, progressive fiscal policies, and a clear strategy to future-proof its energy sector. Petronas' Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM) senior vice president Datuk Bacho Pilong said the country's upstream sector reached historic highs in 2024 and now stands on the cusp of its next major growth phase. Advertisement 'For the first time in our history, we hit 2.0 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024 from humble beginnings of 100,000 barrels in the 1970s. That was the first peak,' he said. 'The second peak was the highest upstream capital spend ever recorded in Malaysia, at RM50 billion. And the third was the highest number of block awards in a decade – 14 in total,' he told Bernama in an interview recently. Malaysia is home to eight prolific hydrocarbon basins. While three are already producing, five more frontier basins remain largely untapped, presenting a major opportunity for investors seeking high-reward assets. 'Imagine the last 50 years our playground has only three basins. The next 50 years, the playground is going to be eight. That's the excitement,' Bacho said. Advertisement Since the launch of the Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) in 2021, more than 25 exploration and development blocks have been awarded, marking a resurgence of upstream interest. This year, the momentum continues. MBR 2025 marks a new chapter, offering five exploration blocks and three Discovered Resource Opportunities (DRO) clusters. Among the early awards is the Mutiara Cluster Small Field Asset (SFA) Production Sharing Contract (PSC) to Dialog Resources Sdn Bhd, unlocking potential in Sabah's East Coast. Another key award is the Temaris Cluster SFA PSC, granted to Seascape Energy Asia (One) Sdn Bhd, which targets production of around 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day by 2029. Additionally, Technical Evaluation Agreements (TEAs) have been signed with seven major companies for the Langkasuka basin including BP, Eni, TotalEnergies, Pertamina, PTTEP, AFED TEXCAL and Petronas Carigali. Meanwhile for the Layang-Layang basin, the companies involved include ConocoPhillips, INPEX, Pertamina, POSCO International, TotalEnergies and Petronas Carigali. MPM has now set its sights on achieving 'no white spot' on the map with full licensing already achieved for all blocks in Sarawak. The focus now shifts to Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, where licensing momentum is accelerating. Bacho emphasised that what sets Malaysia apart is not only its subsurface potential but also a transparent and integrated regulatory structure. 'All these investors deal with a single party, Petronas,' he said, noting that regulatory clarity is complemented by progressive fiscal terms, such as the Enhanced Profitability Terms (EPT), designed to improve commercial viability. MPM has also introduced Malaysia Bid Round Plus (MBR+), a new licensing strategy targeting Discovered Resource Opportunities (DROs) and Late Life Assets (LLAs). This exclusive avenue for myPROdata subscribers has already seen 100 per cent take-up rates across two rounds. To enhance value further, a 'clustering strategy' is now in place, bundling exploration sub-blocks with DROs and vice-versa, enabling investors to tap into both early and late-stage assets in a single offering. 'This creates more value for investors. Some want longer-term risk, some want short-term production. With clustering, the investors can have both,' explained Bacho. He said MPM is also collaborating with the Ministry of Finance to roll out a carbon tax for the iron and steel sector in 2026, part of a broader move to engineer carbon management into energy development from the start. 'In projects moving forward, GHG (Greenhouse Gas) must be addressed upfront. It's part of the engineering, it is built in. Malaysia's Kasawari project, for example, has already integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) into its design. 'This just shows how we're making sure sustainability isn't an afterthought, but something we build into every step as we develop new projects,' Bacho said. To reduce capital expenditure for investors, MPM introduced a Refurbished Platforms Menu, allowing the reuse of existing offshore structures for new field developments. Several companies are currently exploring this option. 'We offer investors existing platforms that are already refurbished and can be reused. That helps to reduce their capex,' Bacho said. Malaysia's Petronas myPROdata system, backed by RM500 million in annual seismic data investments, gives subscribers near-zero-cost access to critical subsurface data, an open-data approach Bacho calls a game changer. 'Not to make money out of you. No. It's to allow you to have access to our data. We invest so you don't have to. That's part of our unique proposition,' he said. Sabah is emerging as a key focus for Malaysia's upstream growth, home to four of the country's five remaining frontier basins. While Sarawak licensing is complete, the spotlight now turns to Sabah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia


The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
PETRONAS' PUSH TO CREATE MALAYSIA'S VIBRANT UPSTREAM ECOSYSTEM
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Over the past half-century, Malaysia's oil production has experienced a twenty-fold increase, from over 100,000 barrels per day in the 1970s to over two million barrels per day in 2024. Last year, PETRONAS also secured RM50bil in upstream investments and signed a record 14 product sharing contracts (PSCs) with 12 operators. 'From our humble beginnings in 1974, PETRONAS and MPM have grown leaps and bounds,' said Bacho. 'Last year, we awarded the highest number of blocks (14) the country has ever done. 'Our role is about creating a future for the industry, to ensure its prominence for the decades to come. I believe that PETRONAS' future could be even more exciting than the past fifty years,' said Bacho. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star 'This is thanks to the mature infrastructure network, progressive fiscal terms, enhanced transparency and a skilled talent pool, crucial for the industry to flourish. 'This stability provides investors with the certainty to come in and invest in the country.' Bacho added that MPM's role goes beyond being a mere regulatory arm, as the organisation aims to actively shape the future of the industry, accelerating growth and global competitiveness. 'Our role is about creating a future for the industry, to ensure its prominence for the decades to come. I believe that PETRONAS' future could be even more exciting than the past fifty years,' he said. These strategic undertakings represent a pivotal phase in PETRONAS' bold transformation journey as an integrated energy company, one that goes beyond maintaining its traditional upstream excellence by 2035. 'We are reimagining Malaysia's role as a regional energy leader through innovative partnerships, cutting-edge technology and asset excellence,' said Bacho. 'This transformation encompasses our evolution as a progressive energy and solutions partner, where every business decision – from frontier basin exploration to portfolio enhancement – serves the larger vision of delivering sustainable, competitive energy for the next decade and beyond. 'This comprehensive shift is what we call PETRONAS 2.0 – building tomorrow's energy ecosystem today, ensuring Malaysia remains not just relevant but essential in the global energy transition,' he added. Untapped resources Bacho shared that to invigorate the sector, PETRONAS, through MPM, plans to reactivate dormant oil basins in the country via strategic partnerships, untapping unutilised reserves. He explained that, in total, Malaysia is home to eight basins. These comprise the Malay Basin, Penyu Basin, Langkasuka Basin in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak Basin, Layang-Layang Basin, Kinabalu Basin, Tawau Basin and Sandakan Basin in East Malaysia. 'Just imagine, all this time, our playing field was limited to three basins. But, in the decades to come, it will be expanded to eight basins. There are five dormant basins just waiting to be activated,' he said. 'So, we must attract more investments to capitalise on these opportunities, to unlock this growth potential.' Each of these basins offers distinct geological potential and commercial advantages, backed by enhanced subsurface data, improved fiscal terms and viable infrastructure networks. This year, the production sharing contracts for the Mutiara cluster in the Sandakan Basin and the Temaris Cluster in the Malay Basin were successfully launched and awarded to Dialog Resources Sdn Bhd and Seascape Energy Asia (One) Sdn Bhd respectively. Additionally, strategic technical evaluation agreements (TEAs) were signed with major industry players such as BP, TotalEnergies (France) and Eni (Italy), for the Langkasuka and Layang-Layang basins. 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Coupled with the re-entry of major players into the country and the continued high demand for O&G from the Global South, it highlights the potential for an upward trajectory in the industry. 'It's about confidence in many aspects: our geology, our regulatory systems, our stable market prices. The moment investors have this confidence, it paves the way for more investments,' Bacho affirmed. MPM also recently introduced Malaysia Bid Round Plus (MBR+), an initiative that allows players to bid on relinquished blocks without waiting for the next annual bid round. This flexibility, exclusively available for PETRONAS myPROdata subscribers, ensures continuous opportunities for new operators and investors. To date, MPM has launched two MBR+ licensing rounds with 100% take-up rates. In addition to the PETRONAS myPROdata platform, MPM employs the Right Asset, Right Player (RARP) strategy. This strategy involves the clustering of assets, classified as late-life assets, small-field assets and so on, depending on their maturity. This effectively matches E&P players with assets that align with their niche capabilities, maximising value creation for all parties. 'Different operators have different focuses, priorities and approaches. With RARP and MBR+, we can utilise the assets to the fullest, and extract more value from them, so it's a win-win for everybody,' Bacho explained. Responsible energy management In line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Bacho emphasised that while the industry continues to drive economic growth and ensure energy security, embedding emission management from the outset is no longer an option, but a fundamental aspect of operations. A proactive stance is critical, as failure to address emissions could lead to challenges, particularly in securing crucial financing for projects. 'The difference between back then and now is that, in production, emissions are now managed upfront. It is part of the plan as built-in mechanisms and no longer an afterthought,' said Bacho. 'We must ask ourselves, 'Can we manage the emissions?', 'Can we capture the released gas?'. It's about a change in thinking for us all.'


Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Borneo Post
Yap: Don't blame Sarawak's oil demands for federal fiscal woes
Wilfred Yap – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (Aug 7): Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has rebutted former economy minister Datuk Seri Mohd Rafizi Ramli's recent remarks suggesting that increasing Sarawak's share of oil and gas revenues could impact Malaysia's sovereign credit rating and lead to higher interest on national debt. He said it was 'misleading and unfair' to imply that recognising Sarawak's rightful entitlements could destabilise the country's financial position, warning that such a narrative risks turning the state into a scapegoat for deeper federal inefficiencies. 'Sarawak's demands are not arbitrary. They are grounded in legal and constitutional foundations, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the Inter-Governmental Committee Report 1962, and the Federal Constitution – all of which recognise Sarawak's autonomy over land and natural resources,' he said in a statement. He pointed out that from 1976 to 2020, Petronas had contributed over RM1.2 trillion to the federal government, while Sarawak – a major oil and gas producer – received only a 5 per cent royalty in return. 'To suggest that correcting this longstanding imbalance could threaten Malaysia's finances is to ignore the deeper issue, namely the federal government's over-reliance on Petronas as a fiscal lifeline in distribution of resources, and a long-term plan for national productivity. 'It should not be propped up by extractive dependence on Sarawak's oil and gas, but by reforms that enhance tax efficiency, reduce leakages, and grow high-value sectors across the country,' he said. Yap said Malaysia must transition away from a centralised model of dependency. He pointed out that a resilient economy is built on diversification and not on the back of one company, one region, or one commodity. 'The future lies in inclusive economic development, sound fiscal management, and transparent governance – not in questioning the constitutional rights of Sarawak.' He also defended Sarawak's legal authority to manage its own resources through legislation such as the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958 and Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016. 'Petros, our state-owned oil and gas entity, works professionally and transparently in full legal compliance. This is not rebellion; it is responsible governance,' he stressed. He warned that attempting to frame Sarawak's rightful share as a fiscal threat sends the wrong signal not just to Sarawakians, but to the entire nation and the global market. 'Investor confidence, both domestic and foreign, is built on legal certainty, policy clarity, and institutional integrity. 'When Sarawak is given the fiscal space to develop, the entire country benefits. Investments in infrastructure, education, and industry in Sarawak will strengthen Malaysia's internal economy, uplift rural communities, and contribute to national GDP. 'This is the kind of decentralised development that Malaysia urgently needs,' he said. He reiterated that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led state government is not seeking confrontation, but justice under the Federal Constitution and the terms of MA63. 'It is unjust for Sarawak to continually be told to accept less in the name of 'national interest' when that 'interest' is skewed by federal inefficiency and poor financial planning. 'Let us move forward with mutual respect, equity, and sound fiscal policy. The time has come for Putrajaya to embrace a new budget philosophy; one that empowers all states, especially resource-contributing ones like Sarawak, and reduces unhealthy dependence on a single revenue source. 'Malaysia must learn to stand on its own two feet – not lean unfairly on Sarawak's oil and gas,' said Yap. oil and gas rafizi ramli Wilfred Yap