Thailand-based PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) has announced plans to begin initial gas production from its Zawtika gas project, located off the shore of Myanmar, in December 2013. Based on the original arrangement between PTTEP and the Myanmar government, Myanmar will receive 1.71 million cubic metres (mmcm) per day of gas, with 6.86 mmcm per day of gas delivered to Thailand via a pipeline. However, in response to Myanmar’s recent requests to meet the expected needs of its gas-based power plants, the quantity of gas that will be supplied to Myanmar has been increased by 83 per cent to 3.14 mmcm per day. The total estimated cost of the development of the Zawtika project and the related 300-km export pipeline to Thailand is $2 billion. The Zawtika gas project is located at Block M-9 of the Mottama offshore oilfield in the Gulf of Martaban in Myanmar, with estimated gas reserves of 39.64 billion cubic metres (bcm). PTTEP has an 80 per cent stake in the project, while the remaining 20 per cent stake is held by Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.
