By *Alambara
During regime leader Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Thailand, Ko Ko Lwin, the regime’s Minister for Electricity and Energy (MoEE), held a separate meeting with Thai Energy Minister Akanat Promphan on Aug. 6.
The two sides discussed not only existing natural gas exploration and production projects involving the two countries, but also plans for further expansion.
According to a statement from Thailand’s Ministry of Energy, the discussions included potential Thai investment in offshore Block A-6.
Photographs from the meeting also show Michael Moe Myint, the chairman and chief executive of Singapore-registered MPRL E&P Pte Ltd., whose company currently holds the operating rights to Block A-6, in attendance.
Offshore Block A-6, also known as the Pyitharyar Integrated Project (PIP), is located about 18 miles (30 km) offshore, west of Ngwe Saung Beach in Ayeyarwady Region.
Earlier exploration indicated that Block A-6 was considered one of the least promising offshore blocks.
Unlike most of Myanmar’s other offshore projects, which operate in shallow waters, the Pyitharyar project is an ultra-deepwater development, with water depths ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 metres, making it technically challenging.
MPRL E&P Pte Ltd. was awarded the rights to the capital-intensive project in 2007. Following exploration activities, the first natural gas discovery was made in 2012.
Woodside joined the project in 2013, followed by Total in 2015. At the time, MPRL E&P held a 20 per cent stake, while Woodside and Total each held 40 per cent.
Between 2015 and 2018, MPRL E&P, Woodside and Total drilled four deepwater exploration and appraisal wells, with natural gas discovered in all four wells.
A map showing the location of offshore Block A-6 and exploration wells. (MPRL E&P)
Following the 2021 military coup, both Woodside and Total withdrew from the project amid concerns over human rights violations and international sanctions.
According to the company’s information, MPRL A-6 Limited, a Thailand-based subsidiary of MPRL E&P Pte Ltd., currently holds a 100 percent interest in the project and has invested more than $400 million USD as of March 2026.
The first phase of the project will involve drilling six wells, followed by an additional four wells at a later stage.
The Pyitharyar project is estimated to contain 2.4 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas resources, with an initial production rate of 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
At this production rate, the project is planned to operate for 13 to 17 years, with production potentially increasing to as much as 550 million cubic feet per day at a later stage, according to project information.
The project has currently reached the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage.
Gas produced from the project will be connected to existing pipelines from the Yadana offshore gas field.
A portion of the natural gas will go to the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), while the remainder will be exported to Thailand through pipelines operated by the Moattama Gas Transportation Company (MGTC).
Myanmar currently has four offshore gas projects: Yetagun, Yadana, Shwe and Zawtika.
With the exception of the Shwe offshore project, the other three are located offshore in the Gulf of Moattama and are operated by Thai companies PTTEP and Northern Gulf Petroleum.
A map of private companies operating offshore oil and gas projects in Myanmar. (Ministry of Electricity and Energy/DVB)
The two companies have also respectively secured operating rights for the Aung Sinkha and Min Ye Thu projects, which are being prepared for production in 2028.
If Thai companies also form a joint venture with MPRL E&P for the Pyitharyar project, they would gain involvement in natural gas production in the Rakhine State offshore area as well.
Myanmar has supplied energy to Thailand for nearly four decades, accounting for around 15 to 20 per cent of Thailand’s natural gas demand.
However, production from the Yadana, Yetagun and Zawtika offshore fields, which currently supply gas to Thailand, has been declining as the fields mature.
The Yadana offshore project is due to reach the end of its contract in 2028. Myanmar’s MoEE and PTTEP signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) in 2025 to increase gas output from the field.
The Yetagun offshore project is due to reach the end of its contract in 2030, while the Zawtika project’s contract is due to expire in 2044, according to information from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.
During Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Bangkok Aug. 6-7, the Thai government also said the two countries were working towards signing a new memorandum of understanding in the near future to strengthen cooperation in the electricity and energy sectors, in addition to discussions over offshore Block A-6.
Thai government spokesperson Rachada Thanadirek said such cooperation could help contain electricity prices and production costs while also reducing Thailand’s dependence on a single source of energy.
*Alambara is the pseudonym of a data analyst on the DVB data team, where they work on research, data support for the newsroom, and open-source investigation to trace the military regime’s networks.
