Malaysia’s national energy firm Petronas will be involved in the development of two major gas blocks, “solidifying Malaysia’s position as a respected energy player globally”, Anwar said in a Facebook post.
Petronas, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Petronas Carigali (Turkmenistan) Sdn Bhd, is deepening its presence in the Caspian Sea with a production sharing agreement covering offshore blocks 19 and 20, the company said in a media release on Friday.
The agreements were signed with Turkmenistan state concern Turkmennebit and state enterprise Hazarnebit.
Petronas also signed a cooperation agreement on “2D seismic studies for the Northern Offshore Blocks”, it said.
Anwar and Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov witnessed the signing.
Petronas has been operating in Turkmenistan, a major global gas producer, for about 30 years, developing Block 1 in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea since 1996 under a production sharing agreement.
Anwar said the agreements were the result of good relations and negotiations between the two countries since Berdimuhamedov visited Malaysia in December 2024, news agency Bernama reported.
Anwar said the development would secure the country’s energy needs “for decades”.
“We can also use it to increase exports to partner countries, particularly China, Japan and South Korea, which have high energy demands,” he said, as reported by Bernama.
Malaysia is a net energy exporter, with the state of Sarawak home to more than 60 per cent of its gas reserves.