Government of Timor-Leste

On March 7^th, 2024, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, and the Acting Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino, witnessed the signing of an agreement between the National Petroleum Authority (ANP IP) and the Kazakh company HTS Exploration Ltd for onshore mineral and gas exploration in the municipality of Viqueque.

Gualdino do Carmo da Silva, President of ANP IP, and Aizhan Ismailova, Executive Director of HTS Exploration LTD, formalised the agreement.

In the first year, HTS, in collaboration with TIMOR GAP EP, will analyse and log the existing wells on the contract. This process involves evaluating and logging the wells to ensure their integrity and researching and assessing geological and geophysical data. These actions aim to better understand the subsoil conditions, providing valuable information to guide future stages of the mineral and gas exploration project. 

In the second year, 3D seismic acquisition or Vertical Seismic Profiling at 3325 metres, two hundred kilometres of seismic data lines with seismic processing, well testing, acidification research and chemical analysis of fluids are planned.

For the third year, the commitment is to drill two exploration wells via lateral deviation and one new well, or two lateral deviations or two new wells when lateral deviation is not technically feasible, with a minimum actual vertical depth of 2,000 metres for new wells or 2,000 metres deep for lateral deviation wells.

HTS Exploration Ltd assures that this agreement represents a commitment to dedication, collaboration, mutual respect, and a shared vision for sustainable development, employment opportunities, and the empowerment of the local community. HTS Exploration Ltd is confident in its qualifications, environmental commitments, and responsibility during the project's implementation. 

Minister Francisco da Costa Monteiro said this project is part of the State's strategic vision. The 9th Government is strongly committed to onshore and offshore mineral exploration, which contributes to the State's revenue. The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and its institutions continue to work hard to ensure mineral and gas exploration.

The Acting Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino, declared that the State should utilise natural resources as an essential pillar for sustaining the national economy, including the tourism and agriculture sectors. The Government believes this exploitation will bring change and improve the population's lives.

Selected through a process that began in 2019, HTS is a company specialising in mineral and gas exploration and production, which owns several fields in Kazakhstan and provides exploration and production services in the region.