Vietnam has started pumping the first gas from the Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet field off the country's southern coast, PetroVietnam Gas Corp said on Tuesday.
Gas output from the field, estimated at 1.5 billion cubic metres a year and equivalent to 15% of Vietnam's total gas output in 2019, comes as the Southeast Asian country has been struggling to maintain its oil and gas production and relying more on imports.
Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet, located at blocks 05-1b & 05-1c, 350 km (217 miles) southeast of Vietnam's coast, is 43.08% owned by Idemitsu Kosan, 36.92% by Teikoku Oil (Con Son) Co. and 20% by Vietnam's state oil firm PetroVietnam.
PetroVietnam Gas owns the Nam Con Son 2 Gas Pipe that connects the field with its onshore facilities in Vung Tau province, the company said.
Gas from the field will be sold to industrial customers, including power plants in southern Vietnam, PetroVietnam Gas said.
(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Ed Davies)