TotalEnergies and Petronas embark on ‘major’ oil & gas search in Oceania

June 26, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

France’s energy giant TotalEnergies and Malaysia’s Petronas have kicked off a multimillion-dollar oil and gas exploration campaign off the coast of Papua New Guinea, Oceania. The duo is said to be drilling the country’s first ultra-deepwater exploration well in the Gulf of Papua.

Noble Viking drillship; Source: Noble Corporation

TotalEnergies and Petronas previously disclosed a plan to drill the Mailu-1 exploration well, as Papua New Guinea’s first deepwater well, within Block PL 576 in 2025. However, the well was later expected to be spudded in 2026 using Noble Corporation’s Noble Viking seventh-generation drillship.

The arrival of the Noble Viking drillship and the start of offshore drilling operations in Papua New Guinea were confirmed by James Marape, the nation’s Prime Minister, who commended TotalEnergies and its partner Petronas for their continued confidence in the country.

Marape describes the drilling program as a “major” offshore oil and gas exploration campaign near Kupiano in Central Province, which, in his view, demonstrates that Papua New Guinea remains an attractive destination for global energy investment.

Given that Mailu-1 is deemed to be a frontier wildcat, a commercial discovery has the potential to open up a new deepwater frontier. With a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet, the Noble Viking drillship, which can accommodate 230 people, can work in water depths of 12,000 feet.

Jimmy Maladina, Minister for Petroleum, represented the national government aboard the Viking drilling vessel on June 23, where he joined project partners and stakeholders to mark the commencement of the exploration program.

Prime Minister Marape underlined: “The presence of the Viking offshore near Kupiano is a strong signal of confidence in Papua New Guinea’s resource potential.

“I commend TotalEnergies and Petronas for continuing to invest in our country, not only through the development of existing projects but also through exploration that could unlock the next generation of oil and gas resources.”

According to Marape, the campaign represents a significant investment in the country’s future, with TotalEnergies and Petronas committing $100 million to $200 million towards offshore exploration activities.

“Exploration is the foundation of our resource sector. Without exploration there can be no new discoveries, no new projects, no new jobs and no future revenue streams for our people,” added Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister.

“Our resource industry must continue to grow beyond the projects we know today. Companies that invest in exploration are investing in Papua New Guinea’s future and helping to create opportunities for generations to come.”

Marape believes that the offshore drilling program highlights the importance of maintaining a stable and competitive investment environment that encourages companies to commit capital to high-risk exploration activities.

He pointed out: “Deep-water exploration requires substantial investment, advanced technology and confidence in the future of our country. We welcome this commitment and look forward to the results of the programme.”

Prime Minister Marape is adamant that continued exploration is essential to sustaining long-term growth in the petroleum sector, while attention remains focused on major developments, such as Papua LNG and the P’nyang gas project.

The Papua LNG development is integrated with the PNG LNG project through a downstream agreement, allowing liquefaction to take place at the Caution Bay site.

View on Offshore-energy.

TotalEnergies operates several licenses in Papua New Guinea, including PRL-15, which covers the Elk and Antelope discoveries, PPL-576, and PPL-589, while also participating as a partner in PPL-339.

The company is focused on developing the Elk and Antelope gas fields through the Papua LNG project, while also building an exploration portfolio in both the foothills and deep-water regions of the country.