Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) could be tapped to assess oil exploration opportunities in the Maldives, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim saying he will discuss the proposal with the Malaysian national oil company.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said Petronas has the technical strength and international experience to evaluate the possibility, citing its operations across markets including Canada, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Suriname, Peru and Brazil.
“On the issue of the proposal to get Petronas to look at the possibility of oil exploration, well, I will have to discuss this with Petronas,” he said at a joint press conference with Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.
“I believe in the strength of Petronas now throughout the world… I don’t think it’s too much a problem to come closer here to Maldives.”
The proposal emerged during Anwar’s discussions with the Maldives leadership as part of his two-day official visit to the island nation.
Any move into the Maldives would add another potential market to Petronas’ international upstream portfolio, subject to discussions and further assessment by the company.
Anwar is on the final day of his official visit to the Maldives.
