Fuelling the future: Thailand’s gas giant gears up production to avert power crisis

Efforts to prevent a second power crisis in Thailand are underway as the nation’s primary gas producer, PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Public Company Limited, looks to increase its output substantially. With plans to double gas production in the Erawan field, Thailand’s largest, Montri Rawanchaikul, the Chief Executive Officer, confirmed plans to scale up production to as high as 800 million cubic feet per day by early 2024. Additionally, production at Bongkok, the company’s second largest field, will see a boost of approximately 10% in 2023.

These aggressive expansion plans are a response to the scrutiny the company endured in the aftermath of last year’s surge in domestic electricity bills. Produced gas from Erawan had declined drastically by roughly 64% in 2022. Subsequently, power producers were forced to source pricier LNG from…