Kuala lumpur: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), through Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), has awarded the Estuary Cluster production sharing contract (PSC) and handed over seismic data for the Mutiara Cluster to two companies. In a statement today, Petronas said MPM awarded the small field asset production sharing contract (SFA PSC) for the Estuary Cluster to Australia-based Harvester Energy Pty Ltd's wholly owned subsidiary, Harvester Energy (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Estuary Cluster comprises the Lerek, Korbu, and Diwangsa fields and is located within the Malay Basin, a hydrocarbon province offshore Peninsular Malaysia. Petronas stated that the cluster is expected to unlock stranded marginal oil resources through a technology-led development concept centred on a novel shallow-water subsea development approach.

MPM senior vice-president Datuk Dr Bacho Pilong highlighted that the award of the Estuary Cluster PSC reflects Petronas' focus on unlocking Malaysia's discovered resources through innovative and fit-for-purpose development solutions. 'By introducing technology-led approaches, we are opening new pathways to monetise small and stranded fields that may otherwise remain undeveloped,' he said.

This award marks Harvester's entry into Malaysia's upstream sector and reinforces Malaysia's position as a destination for agile and technology-focused energy players seeking to participate in small field development opportunities.

MPM has also recently handed over an enhanced 3D seismic dataset to Dialog Resources Sdn Bhd for the Mutiara Cluster, located off the east coast of Sabah. This marks a significant step towards progressing the cluster's development towards production and advancing discovered resources in the Sandakan Basin. 'The delivery of this enhanced dataset marks an important milestone for the Sandakan Basin, representing MPM's first acquisition of new 3D seismic data over an area with existing coverage. The improved subsurface imaging will enable Dialog to better evaluate Mutiara Cluster's resources and support East Sabah's long-term energy security,' said Bacho.

The Mutiara Cluster comprises five discovered marginal oil and gas fields: Nymphe, Nymphe North, Kuda Terbang, Benrinnes, and Mutiara Hitam. Awarded to Dialog under an SFA PSC during the Malaysia Bid Round 2025, the cluster is targeting first production by 2029.