A Scottish economic development agency will lead a trade mission to explore investment opportunities for oil and gas companies in Myanmar, Asia’s “final frontier”.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has vast underdeveloped oil and gas reserves and its government, which is guiding the transition to democracy after decades of military rule, is keen to develop the nation’s indigenous energy sector.
Scottish Enterprise plans to use the trip to find out how Scotland’s wider supply chain can fill the gaps in Myanmar’s oil and gas supply chain.
Energy firms in the UK have been looking to branch into different producing regions to make up for a downturn in North Sea activity amid the oil price rout.
The delegation includes Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, as well as representatives of oil and gas firms Wood Group, ASCO and Bibby Offshore.
Aggreko, a supplier of generators, will also join the mission, which runs from June 4-9.
They will meet with the Myanmar’s energy minister, Mr Pe Zin Tun, and leading local and international oil and gas companies already active in the country.
It follows a visit by a Myanmar delegation to Offshore Europe in Aberdeen last year.
Following the visit to Myanmar, Ms Wilson will then travel to Vietnam along with some of the companies in hope of uncovering further opportunities there.
A spokesperson for Scottish Enterprise, which is funded by the Scottish Government, said the companies who make up the delegation will cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
The budget for the visit will not exceed £5,000, the spokesperson added.
