The 48^th ASCOPE Council Meeting hosted by Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) was held via online platform on 22^nd November 2023.

In the opening remarks at the 48^th ASCOPE Council Meeting, Tengku Muhammad Taufik president & CEO of Petronas, ASCOPE Council Member for Malaysia emphasized that ASCOPE as a regional collaboration platform among oil and gas companies/organizations in ASEAN with the global responsibilities to share a common goal to achieve the Paris Agreement targets for a lower-carbon future. Together all ASCOPE members can shape a lower-emission energy system that provides economic prosperity for the communities. In this regard, Petronas invited all ASCOPE members to be part of the ASEAN Energy Sector Joint Statement on Decarbonization and Methane Emissions Reduction.

Following the agenda, the CEO leadership on 5^th ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Roundtable leaded by Petronas, expressed the demonstration of ASCOPE leadership in methane emissions management through ASEAN Energy Sector Joint Communique on Decarbonisation and Methane Reduction. The meeting honorably welcomed Mr. David Stonehill, representative of United State Agency for International Development – US AID and Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) to share the importance on Decarbonisation and Methane Emissions Reduction.

With natural gas as one of the transitional energy sources towards low-carbon future, to date, ASCOPE’s Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) Project has connected seven (7) ASEAN Member States through 13 interconnection bilateral pipelines with a total length of 3,631 km and nine (13) LNG regasification terminals with a combined total capacity of 52.5 MTPA. The Meeting noted update from Gas Advocacy Task Force on the development of new regasification terminals in the region, especially in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam that will allow ASEAN to continue expanding the region’s gas distribution networks. 

Photo: Group photo of the 48^th ASCOPE Council Meeting