The first drop of Cambodian oil was placed at Phnom Penh’s Win Win Monument in June 2021. Hong Menea
Canada-owned EnerCam Exploration Ltd, through its subsidiary Angkor Resources Corp, has completed a community assessment mission on Block VIII, a 7.3sq km oil and gas license, with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
According to an October 3 announcement, the company has devoted the past two years to emissions reduction and enhancing energy production in both Canada and Cambodia.
As part of the initial activities, EnerCam undertook an ESG/CSR mission in the Ou Bak Roteh Commune of Preah Sihanouk province’s Kampong Seila district.
Representatives from the company met with five officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, community leaders, three village chiefs, the commune’s chief and four community representatives.
The initiative mirrors EnerCam’s approach in mineral activities, where community assessments pinpoint social, environmental, educational and health needs in areas they plan to operate.
Mike Weeks, president of EnerCam, emphasised western Canada’s reputation for energy expertise and their record of assisting other countries with technological and innovative advancements.
“Cambodian citizens possess their own energy resource. The nation merely requires a few leaders in oil and gas to mobilise the entire sector. This presents a tremendous opportunity to generate energy while transferring training, know-how and environmental solutions,” Weeks stated.
“Drawing from 75 years of experience in western Canada, we aim to expedite Cambodia’s journey in introducing carbon capture and advancing green energy solutions, while validating the resources on Cambodian soil,” he added.
Last year, EnerCam secured an onshore license in Cambodia’s southwest. The company aims to steer the country towards domestic energy production from onshore hydrocarbons. Additionally, they await approval on their Production Sharing Contract to recommence offshore production at the Apsara oilfield, a government-owned project with a wellhead platform situated 160 kilometres offshore.
According to ministry data, the Kingdom imported oil and gas products worth over $3.8 billion in 2022. Given the absence of domestic oil and gas production the nation is a significant purchaser of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and liquified natural gas (LNG) among other energy products. Projections from the ministry indicate that Cambodia’s demand will surge to 4.8 million tons by 2030, a leap from 2.8 million tons in 2020.
In September 2022, Cambodia introduced its Power Development Plan 2022-2040. The country aims to inject a total of $9.228 billion to bolster domestic generation capacity. Of this figure, $2.539 billion has been allocated for 2022-2025, predominantly for projects presently in the developmental phase.
