Petronas eyes new LatAm market

A delegation from Malaysian energy group Petronas has concluded a two-day visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

The Caribbean nation’s energy minister Stuart Young and other high-level ministry officials met with Petronas chief operating officer Adnan Zainol Abidin and senior LNG vice president Abang Yusuf Abang Puteh, among other executives.

The visit included briefings on bid rounds, available acreage, the potential of deepwater, renewable energy and LNG, the ministry reported.

Meetings were also held with the National Gas Company, Heritage Petroleum, National Energy and Atlantic LNG.

Petronas has a footprint in the region, particularly in the downstream sector, and has recently stepped up its efforts on the upstream front.

Last week, the Kuala Lumpur-based group announced an oil discovery at block 52, offshore Suriname, where its holdings include blocks 48 and 53.

In neighboring Guyana, Petronas, as part of a consortium, advanced in the country’s first licensing round for offshore blocks.

Elsewhere, the Asian operator has qualified to participate in auctions for shallow and deepwater areas in Brazil.

And Petronas is working with Argentina’s YPF on an LNG project which is in the studies phase.