PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has announced plans to conduct a study on carbon storage potential in the Northern Gulf of Thailand together with Japanese counterpart INPEX. The two companies will be working under a collaboration between the Thai Department of Mineral Fuels and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security. The study aims to lay a foundation for development of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) of Thailand.
Montri Rawanchaikul, CEO of PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), said that, under the Northern Gulf of Thailand CCS Exploration project, PTTEP is ready to join INPEX to conduct a study on carbon storage potential within the northern area of the Gulf of Thailand.
“PTTEP is pleased to work alongside INPEX in this study,” he said. “We have unique knowledge in the subsurface of the Gulf of Thailand and experiences from our CCS initiative at the Arthit gas field. Combined with INPEX’s international experience in CCS project implementation, we believe the study outcome will equip Thailand with necessary insights and information to outline CCS infrastructure and development plan, especially the CCS hub initiative for the EEC, as CCS is one of the promising pathways that could substantially reduce industry’s carbon emissions and keep the country’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions goals within reach.”
Meanwhile, PTTEP is leading a feasibility study of PTT Group’s Eastern Thailand CCS Hub initiative in the EEC, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the group’s operational sites in Rayong and Chonburi provinces, as well as nearby industrial areas, using CCS technology and storage potential in the Gulf of Thailand.
PTTEP is also progressing with the first CCS project in Thailand at the Arthit gas field in the Gulf of Thailand. With the front-end engineering design phase now complete, PTTEP said it expects to begin CCS operations at the Arthit field in 2027 to reduce 700,000–1,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year from gas production.