Maldives seeks Petronas aid in oil, gas and mineral exploration
Anwar said the Malaysian government would discuss the proposal with Petronas, noting that the company already operates in several countries around the world.
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The Maldives has sought assistance from Malaysian state energy company Petronas in efforts to explore for oil, gas and mineral resources, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday.
Anwar made the remarks after holding official talks with President Mohamed Muizzu during his visit to the Maldives at the President’s invitation.
In a press statement following the talks, Anwar said Muizzu had proposed seeking Petronas’ assistance in studies to determine the presence of oil and mineral resources in the Maldives.
Anwar said the Malaysian government would discuss the proposal with Petronas, noting that the company already operates in several countries around the world.
“Petronas operates in countries such as Canada, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Peru and Brazil. Compared with those countries, the Maldives is close to Malaysia. Therefore, I do not believe operating in a neighbouring country such as the Maldives would be a major challenge for the company,” Anwar said.
He also joked that, in addition to working on oil exploration, Petronas employees could visit the Maldives for holidays.
The proposal comes after the Maldivian government announced last month that it would begin preparations to explore for oil, gas, minerals and other non-living natural resources in the country’s maritime areas.
The President’s Office announced on 31 August that the Cabinet had decided to begin the work required for exploration and extraction of such resources.
According to the President’s Office, the Cabinet instructed the Ministry of Fisheries and other relevant authorities to begin the necessary work to explore and extract non-living natural resources from Maldivian waters.
The Cabinet also decided to establish a legal framework specifically governing the exploration and extraction of oil, gas, minerals and other non-living marine natural resources.
The President’s Office has not disclosed further details on how the exploration programme will be conducted.
The Maldives previously conducted studies to explore for oil and gas during former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration. However, the work was later discontinued without significant progress.
