Thailand Opens New Gas Bidding Round at Gastech 2026

 

Energy Minister Akanat Promphan invites international partners into Thailand's 26th petroleum bidding round and confirms the Arthit CCS pilot has reached final investment decision.

 

Thailand's Minister of Energy, Akanat Promphan, opened Gastech 2026 in Bangkok on Monday (September 14) with an invitation to international investors to take part in the country's latest offshore exploration round, alongside confirmation that Thailand's pioneering carbon capture and storage (CCS) project has reached a final investment decision — a milestone he described as a first for the region.

 

Addressing delegates, including ministers and global chief executives at BITEC, Akanat welcomed Gastech back to Thailand for the first time since 2008, describing the country's position "at the heart of Southeast Asia" as a natural gateway to dynamic regional markets, underpinned by a strong industrial base, advanced manufacturing and a skilled energy workforce.

 

 

Natural Gas still Central

The minister argued that natural gas remains "a backbone of the energy transition and a strategic pillar of energy infrastructure", citing the latest outlook from the International Energy Agency, which puts global gas demand at around 4,280 billion cubic metres a year—a level he said is expected to remain resilient for decades to come.
 

To capitalise on that demand, Akanat formally invited international partners to participate in Thailand's 26th petroleum exploration bidding round, which he said unlocks more than 60,200 square kilometres of high-potential deepwater acreage. 

 

He added that Thailand currently holds 19 million tonnes of LNG import capacity and is working to expand this to 27 million tonnes to meet the region's growing energy needs.
 

 

 

 

Beyond exploration, the minister said Thailand is seeking partnerships spanning innovative gas supply, joint procurement, commercial collaboration and co-investment.

 

"The future of LNG is not just about increasing volumes," he said, "but also building a more resilient and interconnected global system."

 

 

Net zero and the Arthit CCS milestone

Turning to decarbonisation, Akanat reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, saying the goal requires "not only renewable energy and electrification, but also a broad portfolio of low-carbon technologies and innovations" for sectors that are harder to abate.

 

Hydrogen and ammonia, he said, will also play a role in progressively lowering carbon intensity while making use of existing infrastructure.
The headline development, however, was carbon capture and storage.

 

Akanat confirmed that Thailand's pilot CCS project at the Arthit gas field has reached final investment decision (FID), which he said makes Thailand the first country in the region to advance shared CCS infrastructure of this kind.

 

The project is intended to anchor a hub on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard capable of eventually serving multiple industrial emitters, not just the oil and gas sector.

 

"Energy is not just a destination," Akanat told delegates. "It is a journey that requires technology, innovation, investment and, most of all, cooperation to move forward together." He added that Thailand and its partners could "transform challenges into opportunities and ambition into action."

 

 

 

The minister's remarks preceded the official opening address by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who built on several of the same themes—including gas's role during the transition and Thailand's push to attract clean-energy investment—in a speech that also unveiled a new rooftop solar support scheme.
 

 

 

Hudson: An Industry Meeting at a "Pivotal Moment"

Earlier in the opening session, Christopher Hudson, president of Dmg Events, which organises Gastech, welcomed delegates to what he called "a pivotal moment for the future of energy".

 

Now in its 54th year, this year's Gastech has drawn more than 5,000 attendees from over 150 countries and 850 companies, including more than 25 government ministers, across around 200 conference sessions — with two new dedicated sectors on electrification and AI for energy introduced for the first time.

 

Hudson set the global backdrop as one shaped by six months of volatility following the onset of conflict in the Middle East, alongside relentless underlying demand growth: he noted that roughly 1.5 million people move into cities every week, that ten air-conditioning units are sold every second worldwide, and that data centre power demand is projected to double by 2030.

 

Quoting US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, he told delegates: "This is not an energy transition. This is the age of energy addition" — with natural gas serving as the base load underpinning the shift.

 

He also noted that 660 million people worldwide still live without electricity, calling this "a market opportunity and one of the greatest responsibilities of our industry."

 

Hudson thanked Thailand as host nation, along with Prime Minister Anutin and Minister Akanat, national consortia partners EGAT, PTT, Gulf, Ratch, EGCO and the Energy Regulatory Commission, and co-host companies Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell.

Gastech 2026 runs from 14 to 17 September at BITEC in Bangkok, marking the event's first return to Thailand since 2008. Organisers say last year's edition facilitated US$60 billion in agreements and investment.

 

This week's programme continues with a ministerial panel featuring energy ministers from Nigeria, Oman, Singapore and Timor-Leste, an energy talk with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and a CEO panel on Asia's energy sector featuring leadership from JERA and Petronas.