Gas flow from Myanmar to Thailand resumes after pipeline repairs
Delivery of gas to Thailand from Myanmar’s Zawtika area has resumed following repairs to the pipeline operated by PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), the Thai national oil and gas conglomerate announced on Monday.
Gas pressure had dropped in the onshore pipeline on August 1, forcing PTTEP to suspend deliveries and order two weeks of repairs.
PTTEP said it found no evidence of damage to the pipeline from fire or explosions, countering initial reports that the leak was caused by an attack by anti-regime resistance groups.
On Monday, the company said it had resumed normal gas deliveries to Thailand on Sunday (August 14) after completing repairs on the onshore pipeline from the Zawtika project.
The Zawtika project produces up to 300 million cubic feet of gas daily, 80 per cent of which is transported to Thailand and the remainder to Myanmar.
PTTEP is one of only two major international oil and gas companies still operating in Myanmar after the pullout of major players including Chevron and TotalEnergies following the 2021 coup and resulting uprising. PTTEP has an 80 per cent stake in the Zawtika project, the other 20 per cent of which is owned by Myanmar's state-owned MOGE, which has been sanctioned by the EU for its close ties to the military regime.