KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS, through Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), has marked two key milestones in advancing Malaysia's upstream sector with the award of the Estuary Cluster Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and the handover of seismic data for the Mutiara Cluster, supporting continued exploration and resource development efforts.
MPM recently awarded the Small Field Asset Production Sharing Contract (SFA PSC) for the Estuary Cluster to Harvester Energy (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Harvester), a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvester Energy Pty Ltd, based in Australia.
Comprising the Lerek, Korbu and Diwangsa fields, the Estuary Cluster is located within the Malay Basin, a proven hydrocarbon province offshore Peninsular Malaysia. The cluster is expected to unlock stranded marginal oil resources through a technology-led development concept centred on a novel shallow-water subsea development approach.
This approach is expected to accelerate first commercial production, reduce capital expenditure and minimise the physical footprint compared with conventional development concepts. It also supports the reuse and redeployment of production infrastructure, in line with PETRONAS’ intent to enable innovative, commercially viable and lower-impact solutions for Malaysia’s small field assets.
Senior Vice President of MPM, Datuk Ir. (Dr) Bacho Pilong said, “The award of the Estuary Cluster PSC reflects PETRONAS’ continued focus on unlocking Malaysia’s discovered resources through innovative and fit-for-purpose development solutions. By introducing technology-led approaches, we are opening new pathways to monetise small and stranded fields that may otherwise remain undeveloped.”
The award marks Harvester’s entry into Malaysia’s upstream sector and reinforces Malaysia’s position as an attractive destination for agile and technology-focused energy players seeking to participate in small field development opportunities.
The cluster was offered through Malaysia Bid Round Plus (MBR+), which complements the annual Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) by providing investors with year-round access to selected upstream opportunities, and technical data through PETRONAS myPROdata. Beyond creating new investment opportunities, MPM is also supporting the progression of existing discoveries towards development by reducing technical uncertainties and enabling more informed development decisions.
MPM has also recently handed over an enhanced 3D seismic dataset to DIALOG Resources Sdn Bhd (DIALOG) for the Mutiara Cluster, located off the east coast of Sabah, marking a significant step towards progressing the cluster’s development towards production and advancing discovered resources in the Sandakan Basin.
Datuk Ir. (Dr) Bacho said, “The delivery of this enhanced dataset marks an important milestone for the Sandakan Basin, representing MPM’s first acquisition of new 3D seismic data over an area with existing coverage. The improved subsurface imaging will enable DIALOG to better evaluate Mutiara Cluster’s resources and support East Sabah’s long-term energy security.”
The Mutiara Cluster comprises five discovered marginal oil and gas fields, namely Nymphe, Nymphe North, Kuda Terbang, Benrinnes and Mutiara Hitam. Awarded to DIALOG under an SFA PSC during MBR 2025, the cluster is targeting first production by 2029.
The development of the Mutiara Cluster is further supported by efforts to optimise project cost and accelerate the First Gas Date, as well as the sharing of information and technical proposals to advance the cluster’s development.
These efforts are complemented by the ongoing collaboration with Sabah state agencies to foster development synergy and stakeholder alignment in support of Sabah’s East Coast long-term energy growth.
Together, the Estuary Cluster PSC award and the Mutiara Cluster seismic data handover demonstrate PETRONAS’ broader approach to strengthening Malaysia’s upstream proposition by widening access to investment opportunities and enabling resources to progress towards production more efficiently.
Issued by:
Channels and Media Relations
Group Strategic Relations & Communications
PETRONAS
For photos, please access the files here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zTHdACJhE8VhXcDMNZgZfymQcmUVypYL?usp=drive_linkPhoto captions:
MPM Pic-1.jpg: PETRONAS, through Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), recently awarded Small Field Asset Production Sharing Contract (SFA PSC) for the Estuary Cluster to Harvester Energy (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Present at ceremony were (from left to right) Senior General Manager of Governance & Strategic Relations, MPM, Nurunnajwa Mohd Aras; Managing Director of Harvester Energy, Christopher Merrick; witnessed by Datuk Ir. Bacho Pilong, SVP of MPM.
MPM Pic-2.jpg: During the same event, MPM handed over enhanced 3D seismic dataset to DIALOG Resources Sdn Bhd (DIALOG) for the Mutiara Cluster. Present at ceremony were (from left to right) Senior General Manager of Resource Exploration, MPM, Azmir Zamri; Deputy Managing Director, Upstream of DIALOG, Saiful AzuanAbdul Aziz; witnessed by SVP of MPM Datuk Ir. Bacho Pilong, and Chief Executive Officer of DIALOG, Mustaffa Kamal Abu Bakar.
SOURCE: PETRONAS
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
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--BERNAMA