ABSTRACT
The oil boom in southeast Asia continued during 1970 with an increase in exploration activity, particularly drilling and seismic surveys. More than 190 exploratory wells were drilled and an increased number of seismic crews were active, as old operators evaluated their holdings and new operators began exploring. five significant discoveries, 1 in Brunei and 4 in Indonesia, were reported. Indonesia was the area of the most activity and success as 15 operators were active on 101 exploratory tests, 20 companies conducted field activities, and 12 companies were awarded new contract areas for exploration. Boundary disputes, which could hamper exploration in the East China Sea and Korea Strait, arose during the year among Nationalist China, Japan, South Korea, and the Peoples’ Republic of China. In Malaysia, an increase of 3 was noted in the number of companies drilling exploratory wells as 5 companies reported activities. The Oil and Gas Development Corporation, with operations in both wings of the country, continued to be Pakistan’s most active explorer. A new cycle of exploration seems to have begun in the Philippines during 1970; 3 exploratory wells, the first since 1964, were drilled and more were planned for 1971.
