| Yetagon gas field | |
| Location Map: | Burma |
| Coordinates: | 13.0725°N 96.8736°W |
| Country: | Myanmar |
| Region: | Andaman Sea |
| Location: | Taninthayi offshore area[1] |
| Block: | M-12, M-13 and M-14 |
| Offonshore: | offshore |
| Operator: | Petronas[2] |
| Partners: | Petronas (40.9%) PTT Exploration & Production (19.3%) Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (20.5%) Nippon Oil (19.3%) |
| Discovery: | 1992[3] |
| Start Development: | 1996/1997 |
| Start Production: | May 2000 |
| Est Gas Bft: | 3200 |
The Yetagon gas field is an offshore gas field in the Andaman Sea. Following the Yadana project, the US$700 million Yetagun ("Flag of victory") project was the second natural gas offshore project in Myanmar.[1] [4]
The Yetagun gas field contained a reserve estimated at 3.2e12cuft.[1] In 2000, the production started at 200e6cuft/d and could go up to 300e6cuft/d.[1] It travels through a 169miles, 24inches diameter pipeline to Thailand.[1] About of the pipelines is undersea, and the rest of it is onshore, where it links with the Yadana pipeline.[5] Also, Yetagun could produce eight to nine thousand barrels of gas condensate per day.[1]
The Yetagun gas field was a joint venture between Texaco (50%), Premier Oil (30%), and Nippon Oil (20%).[5] After Texaco withdrew in 1997 and Premier Oil withdrew in 2002, Petronas became the operator.[5]
In 2008, the Yetagun gas pipeline had a problem with leaking, causing a loss of 400-500 million cubic feet per day (cfd) to Thailand.[6]
In 2011, a helicopter hired by Petronas to work at Yetagun crashed in the Andaman Sea, killing 3 people while 11 people survived.[7]
Some controversy exists regarding the Yetagun (and Yadana) pipeline since some of the profits go to the Burmese government which has a poor human rights record.[8] Also, the main export pipeline runs through an area associated with the Mon and Karen ethnic minorities.[8] There have also been reports of forced labor to build a railway to the pipeline terminus.[8] Furthermore, some are concerned about the environmental impact the pipelines will have on forests.[8] [9]
Though Texaco sold its shares for ostensibly commercial reasons, some believe that the US government’s sanctions on investments in Burma contributed to their withdrawal.[8] Similarly in 2002, when Premier withdrew, activists claimed victory in a 10-year-long campaign against the company’s activity, whereas Premier insisted it pulled out due to commercial interests.[10]