The national oil company said this ongoing seismic survey was initiated in October 2023 and is set to conclude in late December this year.

In a statement today, Petronas said the survey would increase the pool of available seismic data and raise the probability of discovering hydrocarbon potential in the Langkasuka Basin.

The survey covers an area of over 38,000 sq km, and aims to acquire approximately 8,000km of new 2D seismic data, according to the statement.

“Petronas continues to invest in data enrichment for Malaysian basins, like the emerging Langkasuka Basin.

“Initiatives such as this multi-client seismic survey are expected to attract exploration interests to support the country’s production growth strategy,” said senior vice-president of Petronas’s Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), Firouz Asnan.

Meanwhile, MPM’s senior general manager of resource exploration, Azmir Zamri, said the recent Langkasuka Basin study indicated hydrocarbon potential in the untested deeper pre-tertiary formation, which prompted this seismic survey.

“The first exploration probe is expected in the next three years to test this exciting new geological play,” he added.

Petronas, through MPM, is the custodian of the petroleum resources in Malaysia. With this mandate, MPM manages petroleum arrangements and provides stewardship on upstream exploration and production activities in the country.