Letter from Southeast Asia: Pttep unlikely to quit Myanmar
The fallout from Myanmar’s coup may not be enough to discourage the Thai state-owned firm
When TotalEnergies and Chevron announced their exits from Myanmar’s Yadana concession in January, they left Thai state-owned Pttep as the project’s only remaining international partner, and essentially having to stay in order to safeguard Thailand’s energy security. The seeds of the current situation were sown in December 2018, when Thai authorities awarded the country’s Erawan concession—which produces the bulk of Thailand’s domestic gas output—to a group comprising Pttep and UAE state-owned investment vehicle Mubadala Petroleum once the existing contract expired in 2022. Erawan’s current operator, Chevron, has slashed development drilling despite Thailand’s offshore geology requiring conti
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub






