Gayle Meikle, CEO, Frontier Energy Network

There is a huge amount happening across Asia Pacific at the moment, and one of the things I've enjoyed most while building the World Energies Summit | The World’s Premier Global Upstream Conference | 29th - 30th September 2026 has been speaking directly with governments and regulators across the Asia Pacific region about where they see the next wave of investment coming from and what strategies they are deploying to attract new players.

For a number of years the spotlight has rightly been on Africa, Guyana, Namibia and Brazil. But while much of the industry's attention has been focused elsewhere, Asia Pacific has been opening acreage, improving fiscal terms and actively competing to attract explorers back. We can see that across the region, regulators are actively competing for exploration capital. They're opening new acreage, modernising fiscal terms, investing in better subsurface data and recognising that domestic oil and gas production remains fundamental to energy security and economic growth. Here are a few nice examples;

Indonesia Leads the Pack

If there is one country generating the most excitement, it is Indonesia. SKK Migas continues to drive one of the region's most active exploration programmes through its annual Oil & Gas Licensing Rounds and Joint Study opportunities, while the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources continues to reform the investment framework to attract international capital. Despite its long history as a producing nation, Indonesia remains remarkably underexplored in many basins, with recent discoveries reinforcing just how much potential still exists. For companies looking for meaningful frontier and deepwater exploration upside, Indonesia has to be up there.

India Building for the Long Term

India is another market attracting real interest. The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons continues to expand opportunities through the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP). Rather than waiting years between bid rounds, companies now have continual access to nominate and bid for acreage, creating one of the world's largest long-term exploration opportunities. With rapidly growing energy demand both at home and in the region and a clear government commitment to increasing domestic production, India is becoming increasingly attractive across both offshore and frontier basins.

Malaysia Continues to Deliver

Malaysia may not always grab the headlines, but it consistently demonstrates why mature basins should never be underestimated. PETRONAS continues to promote new investment through the annual Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) run by Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), offering frontier, deepwater and mature basin opportunities supported by high-quality seismic data and well-established infrastructure. It is a market that continues to reward companies prepared to apply new technology to proven petroleum systems.

Australia and Papua New Guinea

Australia remains one of the region's most attractive investment destinations. The National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator administers acreage released by the Australian Government through its annual Offshore Acreage Release, offering exploration opportunities across some of the country's most prospective offshore basins. Meanwhile, Department of Petroleum and Energy continues to promote new Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) opportunities as the country builds on its position as one of the world's leading gas provinces. Significant remaining exploration potential, combined with established LNG infrastructure, continues to attract industry attention.

Other Asia Pacific Opportunities Worth Watching

There are several other countries that deserve a mention. Petrobangla has relaunched its long-awaited Offshore Bidding Round, opening new acreage in the Bay of Bengal following extensive seismic acquisition. In Sri Lanka, Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka is planning the Mannar Basin Offshore Licensing Round, offering offshore blocks with proven gas potential. Pakistan's Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions continues to run regular Onshore and Offshore Exploration Licensing Rounds, while in Timor-Leste Autoridade Nacional do Petróleo (ANP) remains committed to attracting international investment into its offshore acreage. Elsewhere, PetroVietnam, Department of Mineral Fuels, Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam are all continuing to promote exploration through acreage offerings, farm-in opportunities and licensing initiatives designed to strengthen domestic production and improve long-term energy security.

Current Upstream Licensing & Acreage Opportunities Across Asia Pacific

• Indonesia – Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) / SKK Migas – Regular Oil & Gas Licensing Rounds and Joint Study opportunities across frontier and mature basins.
• India – Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) – Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP).
• Malaysia – PETRONAS Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM) – Annual Malaysia Bid Round (MBR) covering frontier, deepwater and mature acreage.
• Australia – National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) – Annual Offshore Acreage Release Programme.
• Papua New Guinea – Department of Petroleum & Energy (DPE) – Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) opportunities and new exploration acreage.
• Bangladesh – Petrobangla – Offshore Licensing Round for Bay of Bengal exploration blocks.
• Sri Lanka – Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL) – Planned Mannar Basin Offshore Licensing Round comprising offshore exploration blocks.
• Pakistan – Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) – Regular onshore and offshore exploration licensing opportunities.
• Timor-Leste – Autoridade Nacional do Petróleo (ANP) – Promotion of offshore exploration acreage and investment opportunities.
• Brunei Darussalam – Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam (PABD) – Offshore exploration opportunities and targeted acreage offerings.
• Thailand – Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF) – Petroleum Bid Rounds and new exploration acreage.
• Vietnam – Petrovietnam, working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) – Offshore acreage promotion and upstream investment initiatives.
• Philippines – Department of Energy (DOE) – Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Programme (PCECP) offering onshore and offshore exploration opportunities.

Current Upstream Licensing & Acreage Opportunities Across Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific governments are most certainly in engagement mode, opportunities are growing and there is a genuine appetite to attract international investment. Exploration has always been about backing the places that others overlook until they become impossible to ignore. It's a region I'll be working hard to get close to made easier by my relationship with SEAPEX - South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society, and one that I expect will feature much more prominently in conversations at this year's World Energies Summit in this upcoming 4th Edition and in years to come.

Original article   l   KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Frontier