Petronas has awarded a production sharing contract for Malaysia's Estuary Cluster to Harvester Energy and handed over enhanced seismic data for the Mutiara Cluster to DIALOG Resources, advancing development of discovered oil and gas resources in two Malaysian basins.
Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), the upstream governing body of Petronas, awarded the Small Field Asset Production Sharing Contract (SFA PSC) for Estuary to Harvester Energy (Malaysia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Australia-based Harvester Energy.
The award marks Harvester's entry into Malaysia's upstream sector.
Located in the Malay Basin offshore Peninsular Malaysia, the Estuary Cluster comprises the Lerek, Korbu and Diwangsa fields and is expected to target stranded marginal oil resources using a shallow-water subsea development concept.
The planned approach is intended to accelerate first commercial production and lower capital expenditure and the physical footprint compared with conventional development concepts. It also provides for the reuse and redeployment of production infrastructure.
“The award of the Estuary Cluster PSC reflects Petronas’ continued 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,” said MPM Senior Vice President, Bacho Pilong.
The Estuary Cluster was offered through Malaysia Bid Round Plus (MBR+), which provides year-round access to selected upstream opportunities alongside the annual Malaysia Bid Round.
Separately, MPM handed an enhanced 3D seismic dataset for the Mutiara Cluster off the east coast of Sabah to DIALOG Resources, as part of efforts to progress the development towards production and further evaluate discovered resources in the Sandakan Basin.
Mutiara comprises five discovered marginal oil and gas fields — Nymphe, Nymphe North, Kuda Terbang, Benrinnes and Mutiara Hitam. DIALOG was awarded the cluster under an SFA PSC during Malaysia Bid Round 2025, with first production targeted for 2029.
“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,” added Bacho.
Work on Mutiara also includes efforts to reduce project costs and accelerate the first gas date, alongside collaboration with Sabah state agencies on the cluster's development.
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