Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with President and Chief Executive Officer of Murphy Oil Corporation Roger Jenkins in Washington D.C on May 13 afternoon (local time) as part of his trip to the US.

At the meeting with Roger, PM Chinh spoke highly of the cooperation and active participation of Murphy Oil in oil exploration activities in Viet Nam. He welcomed the corporation's plan to expand operations in Viet Nam in the future.

Roger praised the Vietnamese market and reported on Murphy Oil's activities in Viet Nam, particularly the progress of the Lac Da Vang oilfield project. He proposed supporting measures to help promote the progress of the project.

PM Chinh said he had issued directions relating to the project and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam or PVN) held many meetings with contractors and ministries, and agencies to consider and deal with the project's problems. He proposed the two sides speed up the progress of related works.

PM Chinh said Murphy Oil needs to continue to coordinate with the PVN and the PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) to handle related works. He stated that he had asked the Vietnamese Ministries of Industry and Trade and Planning and Investment to study proposals of the corporation and implement related tasks in order to speed up the progress of the Lac Da Vang project.

Murphy Oil has invested around US$300 million in oil exploration in Viet Nam and is managing oil fields in Be Cuu Long and Be Phu Khanh. It is cooperating with PVEP to carry out the Lac Da Vang oilfield project with a total investment capital of US$700 million.

In the future, the corporation will continue oil exploration activities at oilfields under its management as committed with the Government of Viet Nam. — VNS