en.Wedoany.com Reported - French energy giant TotalEnergies and Malaysia's Petronas have launched a multi-million dollar deepwater oil and gas exploration campaign off the coast of Papua New Guinea in Oceania, drilling the country's first ultra-deepwater exploration well in the Gulf of Papua.

The two companies had previously planned to drill the Mailu-1 exploration well in Block PL 576 in 2025, but it was later expected to be delayed to 2026, using Noble Corporation's seventh-generation drillship, the Noble Viking. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape confirmed the arrival of the Noble Viking drillship and the commencement of offshore drilling operations, commending TotalEnergies and Petronas for their continued trust in the country. Marape described the drilling program as a "major" offshore oil and gas exploration activity near Kupiano in Central Province, stating it demonstrates that Papua New Guinea remains an attractive destination for global energy investment. Mailu-1 is considered a frontier wildcat well, and if a commercial discovery is made, it could potentially open up a new deepwater frontier. The Noble Viking drillship has a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet, can operate in water depths of 12,000 feet, and accommodates 230 people. Oil Minister Jimmy Maladina boarded the Viking drillship on June 23 on behalf of the national government, marking the launch of the exploration program alongside project partners and stakeholders. Prime Minister Marape stated that the Viking's presence in the waters near Kupiano is a strong signal of confidence in Papua New Guinea's resource potential. He also praised TotalEnergies and Petronas for their continued investment in the country, not only through existing project development but also through exploration that could unlock the next generation of oil and gas resources. According to Marape, this exploration campaign is a significant investment, with TotalEnergies and Petronas committing between $100 million and $200 million for the offshore exploration activities. Marape believes the offshore drilling program highlights the importance of maintaining a stable and competitive investment environment that encourages companies to deploy capital into high-risk exploration activities. The Prime Minister is confident that sustained exploration is crucial for the long-term growth of the petroleum sector, while attention remains focused on major developments such as the Papua LNG and P'nyang gas projects. The Papua LNG development project is integrated with the PNG LNG project through a downstream agreement, allowing for liquefaction operations at the Caution Bay site. TotalEnergies operates several licenses in Papua New Guinea, including PRL-15 covering the Elk and Antelope discoveries, PPL-576, and PPL-589, and also participates as a partner in PPL-339. The company is focused on developing the Elk and Antelope gas fields through the Papua LNG project, while also building an exploration portfolio in the country's foothills and deepwater areas.

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