Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is set to visit Turkmenistan in mid-June to sign a strategic agreement that will enable PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil and gas company, to tap into one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves—the Galkynysh field. Ibrahim’s personal engagement highlights the deal’s importance amid a demanding domestic political schedule.
The planned agreement aligns with Malaysia’s broader goal of strengthening its presence in global energy markets and diversifying its energy supply sources. The Galkynysh gas field, classified as a supergiant, represents a significant opportunity for PETRONAS to expand its resource base and development activities beyond its existing operations in Turkmenistan.
Discussions on this deal took place in May during meetings in Ashgabat between Turkmenistan’s former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and PETRONAS Advisor Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican. PETRONAS has cultivated a longstanding relationship with Turkmenistan dating back to 1996, when it became the first foreign company to enter a production-sharing agreement for offshore Block I in the Turkmen Caspian Sea sector.
This offshore block covers key fields including Magtymguly, Diyarbekir, and Garagol-Deniz, which remain vital to Turkmenistan’s energy exports. The company’s continuing operations were recently extended via a long-term contract signed in May 2025, securing its role in the region through 2050. Currently, the offshore project yields about 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day with access to more than 7 trillion cubic feet of reserves.
The June visit and signing mark an extension of decades-long cooperation between PETRONAS and Turkmenistan in natural gas processing and development, reinforcing Malaysia’s strategic efforts to participate in key international energy projects.