EnQuest Awarded PSA for Offshore Brunei Block

EnQuest plc) said it has been awarded a production sharing agreement (PSA) for Block C in Brunei by the Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam (PABD).

The company’s subsidiary EnQuest EP BV Ltd will initially be the sole operator of the PSA, with plans to form a 50/50 joint venture company with Brunei Energy Exploration Sdn Bhd (BEE), according to a news release.

Once established, the joint venture will assume the role of operator for Block C and focus on finalizing the Merpati Field Development Plan, targeting to make a final investment decision within the next two years, Enquest said.

Block C is located offshore Brunei Darussalam and hosts the condensate-rich gas fields of Merpati, Meragi, and Juragan. EnQuest said it intends to develop these fields in stages, beginning with the Merpati Field. The produced gas and liquids from the fields are targeted for use in the domestic market and in the Brunei liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, which supplies the international LNG markets. 

Enquest said it expects the capital project to start in 2027, with first gas from the field to be online in 2029.

Enquest CEO Amjad Bseisu said, “We are excited to embark on this new country entry with Brunei Darussalam. EnQuest is committed to fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to us and we will leverage our experienced workforce and differentiated operating capability to deliver the project safely and efficiently”.

“This opportunity aligns with our strategy to diversify our portfolio into gas and expand our presence in South East Asia following two significant recent transactions to enhance our production in Malaysia and our acquisition of Block 12W in Vietnam from Harbour Energy. Our established presence in the region and operating expertise built up in Malaysia and the UK North Sea will be invaluable in supporting this project and future ventures in Brunei Darussalam. We are eager to continue fostering this relationship and to explore further opportunities with Brunei Darussalam,” Bseisu added.

Last week, EnQuest PLC closed the acquisition of Harbour Energy’s business in Vietnam, which holds a 53.125 percent equity interest in the Chim Sáo and Dua production fields, or Block 12W.

Enquest is now the operator of the assets, made up of three producing oil and gas fields: Chim Sáo, Chim Sáo North West (CSNW) and Dua, located in the Nam Con Son Basin, approximately 248.5 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of Vung Tau, Vietnam. Bitexco owns a working interest of 31.875 percent, and PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation Ltd owns 15 percent.

The transaction involves EnQuest’s acquisition of the 28.125 percent equity share held by Premier Oil Vietnam Offshore BV (POVO) and the 25 percent share held by Premier Oil Vietnam Limited.

As of January 1, net 2P reserves and 2C resources across the fields totalled 7.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) and 4.9 MMboe, respectively, according to the release.

In an earlier statement, Bseisu gave an update on the company’s operations in the region. He said, “EnQuest has continued to deliver excellent operational performance across our asset portfolio during 2025, achieving group production efficiency in excess of 90 percent. Production for the first quarter of the year, excluding pro forma Vietnam volumes, averaged [42,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day] and remained ahead of our guidance range.

“Through strong reservoir management and good infill drilling results, in April we delivered Magnus oil production of 16,800 barrels per day, the highest rate since 2022. Due to a pipeline system outage, Magnus production was shut-in later in April, with remediation actions at the third-party-operated Ninian Central Platform now complete and production restored. The third infill well in the 2025 drilling program will be brought online in June and, with strong rates expected, will add to the excellent performance being delivered from Magnus. Accordingly, our production guidance of 40,000 to 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including pro forma Vietnam volumes, remains unchanged,” he said.

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