Viridien and Petronas Launch Exploration Study in Sabah, Malaysia
The geosciences group has engaged with Malaysian state oil company Petronas in a prospectivity study covering the onshore Sabah region. The initiative extends a series of recent operational announcements from the group, several of which are in Malaysia.
An 18-Month Study Over Approximately 60,000 km²
Viridien announced on September 1, 2026 the launch of a multi-client study entitled Integrated Prospectivity and Subsurface Study (IPSS), conducted in collaboration with Petronas via Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM). The study, lasting 18 months, covers the onshore Sabah region in Malaysia, over an area of approximately 60,000 km².
According to the group, the objective is to provide investors and explorers with an assessment of the hydrocarbon potential of the basin, drawing on its proximity to identified offshore petroleum systems.
Data Integration and Digital Mapping
The study is planned to integrate geological, geophysical, remote sensing, field and laboratory data in order to assess prospectivity at the basin scale and identify exploration opportunities. The announced deliverables include play definition, identification of favorable zones, resource assessment and digital geological mapping based on ArcGIS, intended to prepare future exploration phases and potential seismic acquisition.
Dechun Lin, Head of Earth Data at Viridien, indicated that the group will apply its capabilities to the onshore Sabah region, where coverage of modern seismic data remains limited but where exploration potential is considered significant.
