Deep-sea mud trial extraction to begin in 2026
Japan is set to launch test mining of a unique deposit of rare earth element (REE)-rich deposits in an area off the Minami-Torishima Island (Marcus Island) in the Pacific Ocean,…
Asia
Drilling deeper for new resources in Uzbekistan
Domestic gas production has rapidly declined in Uzbekistan over the last few years, to the point where the country became a net importer since 2023 to meet demand. This has…
Harnessing AI-driven analytics for subsurface insights in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia
Project structure and objectives The initiative was divided into two major tasks: Task One – Integration of PETRONAS myPROdata with EarthNET The objective was to enable seamless data integration and…
India – Andaman Islands – drilling update
In late September, Oil India (OIL) announced the presence of gas recovered during intermittent flow on testing at its Vijaya Puram-2 well in the offshore eastern Andaman block AN-OSHP-2018/1, with…
Exploring young petroleum systems comes with risks
Any exploration well carries risk, and ultimately, it is the drill bit that will either prove or disprove a play concept. In South Korea’s Ulleung Basin, despite the presence of…
Kasawari – gas production has commenced, but when does the CO2 storage project?
At industry events in South-East Asia, the Kasawari CO2 storage project has been a talking point for years. It should be the first large-scale CO2 storage project in the region,…
Syria – opening up again
In May 2025, the US Treasury eased most sanctions on Syria, followed by the easing of restrictions by the UK and EU. While significant hurdles still remain, oil and gas…
Investing in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Condor Energies (“Condor”) is a Canadian, Calgary-based, publicly listed (Toronto Stock Exchange) energy transition company focused on Central Asia. The company has distinguished itself by building significant operations in KazakhstanKazakhstan…
Drilling around mud diapirs
Mud diapirs have long been enigmatic structures in the subsurface. With older seismic data being of insufficient resolution to properly map them, companies often took a careful approach when it…
India to auction first offshore mineral blocks
India’s Ministry of Mines has announced that the country is entering offshore mineral production for the first time in its nearly 75-year history. This initiative aligns with India’s vision of…
Iran – not at a standstill
Iran is one of those countries you normally don’t hear a lot from. This is obviously exacerbated by the USA sanctions that are still in place and prevent the exchange…
Direct entry opportunities for every strategy across the Middle East and South Asia
In recent years there has been a very low uptake by IOCs for opportunities offered in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Oman, while in Iraq, foreign entries via…