The article considers the problem of developing hydrocarbon energy as an important component of economic cooperation in Southeast Asia. It is noted that in the conditions of growing demand for hydrocarbons, individual countries in the region have to solve the problem of preventing a decline in oil and gas production, which is partly achieved by introducing new equipment. It is emphasized that the greatest success of the energy industry depends on the development of the offshore zones of the South China Sea.

Keywords: ASEAN, hydrocarbon reserves, oil, natural gas, South China Sea shelf.

Strong economic growth in the ASEAN member states, coupled with continued demographic growth and urbanization in the region, puts the energy supply challenge at the center of attention.¹ The Top Ten countries decided to redouble their efforts to diversify energy supply sources and make extensive use of local resources, including natural gas, oil and renewable energy sources. ² To meet the growing demand for energy, most of the ASEAN countries have increased investment in energy and are pursuing attractive energy policies to encourage foreign oil and gas companies to set up operators in their countries.

Below is a description of the development of the hydrocarbon sector in eight of the ten ASEAN countries: Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Brunei. Brunei is one of the ASEAN countries rich in hydrocarbon energy resources and has extensive oil and natural gas fields. The bulk of Brunei's oil and gas reserves are located offshore in the South China Sea. Brunei had approximately 147 million tons of oil reserves in 2013, ³ and 390.8 billion tons of natural gas reserves at the beginning of 2014. cube. m ⁴. These indicators have not changed since the end of the 90s. Oil and gas production forms the backbone of the country's economy, as Brunei exports 90-95% of the country's oil production. In 2012, Brunei exported about 16.7 thousand tons of oil per day to key Asian consumers. Despite the continued decline in production, Brunei remains the largest net exporter of liquid petroleum products.

Kutsov Alexander Mikhailovich, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation, South Sakhalin Institute of Economics, Law and Informatics. Tel.: 8 (914) 769-56-77. E-mail: a.m.kutsov@sakhiepi.ru.

Ekaterina A. Kutsova, intern at Peking University of Language and Culture. Tel.: 8 (914) 769-06-87. E-mail: kat_kutsova@mail.ru.

hydrocarbons in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2013, Brunei's exports amounted to 16 thousand tons per day. According to information provided by the World Bank, oil and natural gas exports provide Brunei with more than 90% of foreign exchange earnings (60% of GDP).⁵. Largely because of this, Brunei has one of the highest GDP per capita rates among underdeveloped countries ($38,559). USD for 2013 ⁶).

The bulk of oil and gas production comes from Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), a joint venture between the Brunei Government and Royal Dutch Shell. BSP represents the interests of the state in the country's oil and gas sector, and also tops the list of the largest oil companies in Asia. BSP is the operator of the Champion, Seria, Fairley, Gannet, Iron Duke and Magpie ⁷ fields (about 50% of the country's oil production). There are also two onshore deposits: Rasau and Seria-Tali. BSP is developing the Egret oil field. After peaking at 29.5 thousand tons per day in 2006, Brunei's oil production gradually declined to ^{18 thousand tons per day in 2013.8}

BSP produces 90% of the world's natural gas by developing 3 major fields: South-WestAmpa (50% of Brunei's proven reserves), as well as the Fairley and Gannet ⁹ fields. Brunei LNG, a joint venture between the Brunei government, Shell and the Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation, is also engaged in gas production and processing. Completing the top three is the French company Total, which received a license to explore the Block J deepwater field in 2002.

Brunei is interested in developing hydrocarbons in the South China Sea, although it has not made formal claims over the disputed Spratly Islands or the Paracel Islands. However, Brunei's exclusive Economic Zone includes Louise Reef and small islands in the southeastern part of the Spratly Islands. The settlement of offshore disputes with Malaysia in 2009 allowed Brunei to start exploring deep-water areas in the Baram Delta in 2010 and conclude production-sharing agreements, which helped maintain the country's oil and gas production level.¹⁰ Since the early 2000s, Brunei's gas production has been at the level of 12 billion cubic meters. m per year. In 2011, Brunei produced 16 thousand tons of oil on the South China Sea shelf. tons of crude oil and condensate per day, and annual natural gas production was 11.3 billion cubic meters ¹¹. In 2013, Brunei Petroleum Brunei and Malaysia's Petronas signed a number of agreements on joint development of fields on the shelf of both countries ¹².

Currently, offshore Brunei, Total (37.5%) and its partners Shell (35%) and Petroleum Brunei (27.5%) are working on the Maharaja Lela Jamalulalam South (MLJS)project¹³. Production is expected to start in late 2015.

Domestic gas demand has been growing steadily in recent decades. Brunei uses natural gas as a fuel for almost all electricity generation ¹⁴. The potential for increasing the production of natural gas and LNG is so high that the government plans to develop petrochemical and other industries at an accelerated pace. So far, however, Brunei exports more than three-quarters of its output.

Myanmar. From 1988 to 2010, after opening up the energy sector to foreign capital, foreign companies invested a total of US $ 13.5 billion in the development of Myanmar's oil and gas resources.¹⁵ To date, Myanmar has rich oil and gas reserves that have been explored in recent years. The total amount of natural gas reserves that can be extracted has already reached 566 billion cubic meters ¹⁶. Myanmar ranks 41st in the world in terms of natural gas reserves and 78th in terms of oil reserves (about 21.4 million tons) ¹⁷. Data published by the USGS

The National Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that Myanmar has proven reserves of approximately 540 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 6.7 million tons of oil.

Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), a national company, dominates oil and natural gas exploration and production in the country¹⁸. Offshore deposits are concentrated off the coast of Rakhine and Tanintai regions and in the Gulf of Martaban (Mowtama)¹⁹.

Myanmar currently plans to develop a total of 104 sites: 53 onshore and 51 offshore. Work is currently being carried out, including by foreign companies, at 17 onshore and 20 offshore sites. In March 2014, the Myanmar Ministry of Energy announced the allocation of an additional 20 offshore sites to foreign companies for oil and gas exploration. Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Eni, Statoil and ConocoPhillips have been awarded the deepwater Bay of Bengal sites. A number of Indian and Western companies, including the American oil giant Chevron, will conduct geological exploration on the shallow shelf.²⁰ However, the timing of geological exploration in these areas has not been determined.

The largest gas production projects are Yadana, Yetagun, Zawtika and Shwe. Gas produced under the Yadana and Yetagun projects has been exported to Thailand since 1999 and 2000, respectively. Exports to Thailand currently account for more than 70% of Myanmar's gas production. In 2014, RTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP)²¹ put into commercial operation the Zawtika gas project with a capacity of up to 8.5 million cubic meters. m per day. In August 2014, natural gas exports to Thailand under this project totaled 6.8 million cubic meters. m per day. These supplies will increase Thailand's imports to 36.8 million cubic meters of gas per day. In addition, the Zawitka project started delivering 1.7 million cubic meters of natural gas for domestic use in Myanmar in March 2014. m per day ²². This is an important contribution to ensuring the energy security of Myanmar and Thailand. ²³ Chinese companies actively participate in gas and oil exploration activities. During fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12, Myanmar's revenue from gas exports, mainly to Thailand, was $ 2.5 billion and $ 3.5 billion. In 2013, with the start of natural gas production at the Shwe field in the Rakhine Basin and the completion of the Myanmar-China gas pipeline, exports to China24 began. It is estimated that the maximum capacity at the Shwe field may reach ¹⁴ million cubic meters. m per day ²⁵. Indian companies also invest in the development of oil fields and the construction of gas pipelines.²⁶

Natural gas is one of the main sources of income for foreign citizens in Myanmar. For the 2013-14 fiscal year, it amounted to $ 3.6 billion. ²⁷

According to various estimates, Myanmar produced about 2.7 thousand tons of oil per day in 2013.28 However, despite the expected increase in onshore and offshore exploration activity in the coming years, it is likely that Myanmar will increase its oil importations29. According to BMI's forecast, based on official data on oil reserves and estimates of the level of production in the coming years, by 2023 oil production will decrease and reach 2.3 thousand tons per day. This forecast takes into account the decline in oil and condensate production at the Yetagun offshore field, while maintaining a stable level of production at small onshore fields. Myanmar's dependence on imports will continue to grow, despite the resumption of exploration and increased oil recovery in onshore fields.

Indonesia. Among all the ASEAN member countries, Indonesia is the richest in energy resources. Oil and natural gas make up the main part of the country's energy balance (about 80% and 18%, respectively).

At the end of the 20th century, Indonesia experienced a decline in oil exploration and production, which was largely due to the monopoly of the state oil company PERTAMINA. In October 2001, Indonesia's oil sector underwent significant reforms with the introduction of the new Oil and Gas Law N22/2001. The law ordered PERTAMINA to abandon its role in granting new licenses for oil development and limited the company's monopoly. PERTAMINA's regulatory and administrative functions were transferred to the Executive Agency for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (BP Migas). Indonesia has also made efforts to make exploration and production contracts more attractive to foreign investors. Prior to that, the country used some of the world's strictest rules for regulating exploration and production.³⁰ In 2003, PERTAMINA became a limited liability company of RT PERTAMINA (Persero), although it remained a state-owned enterprise. As of March 2012, RT PERTAMINA accounted for approximately 17% of Indonesia's domestic oil and gas condensate ³¹. This made the company the second largest manufacturer in Indonesia.

The leading position among Indonesian oil companies is occupied by Chevron Oil Company, which manages the largest oil fields in Indonesia: Minas and Duri. In 2012, Chevron produced 45% of the total volume of crude oil produced in the country. In third and fourth places are Total and ConocoPhillips. Chinese state-owned companies CNOOC and PetroChina (subsidiaries of CNPC)are also present in Indonesia³².

The introduction of advanced technologies by international oil companies could not stop the decline in oil production, which, combined with an increase in domestic demand, turned Indonesia into a net importer of oil starting in 2004, so in January 2009 it was forced to terminate its long-term membership (1962-2008) in OPEC. In 2011, total oil production reached the level of 122.8 thousand tons per day. This is less than the government-set production level of ¹²⁹ thousand tons per day for this year33. However, Indonesia aims to return to OPEC by around 2020. This goal requires large investments, as well as a favorable investment climate.

In February 2001, Indonesia's Mobil Cepu Ltd., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, in cooperation with RT PERTAMINA, discovered the Banyu Urip ³⁴ deposit in the Cepu block (East Java) with an estimated crude oil content of 198 million tons and gas content of 230.5 billion cubic meters. This is the most significant discovery of the last decade. In March 2006, ExxonMobil and RT PERTAMINA signed an agreement on joint activities in the Cepu block (45% each for ExxonMobil and RT PERTAMINA, 10% owned by local authorities). The project cost is US $ 1.3 billion. The project was operational in 2008, but at the end of January 2013, the production level reached only 3.2 thousand tons per day35^.

According to the Oil & Gas Journal, Indonesia's proven natural gas reserves stood at 141 trillion cubic meters as of January 2012. The country is the 14th largest holder of proven natural gas reserves in the world and the third largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia is still a major LNG producer. According to the Indonesian government, more than 60% of the country's natural gas reserves are located offshore, with the largest reserves found in Natuna District, East Kalimantan, Aceh Province (South Sumatra) and western New Guinea. RT PERTAMINA and six major international companies dominate Indonesia's gas industry, accounting for more than 90% of production.

In recent years, Indonesian companies have shifted their focus from traditional gas fields to new regions. Offshore gas production areas include Bintuni Bay in West Papua and Central Sulawesi. Located in the eastern part of Indonesia, the Arafura Sea is still poorly studied, but promising in terms of gas production. Here is the Abadi gas field, whose reserves are estimated at 280-400 billion cubic meters. cubic meters In June 2013, the Vostochnaya Natuna field in the South China Sea was put into operation with commercial reserves of more than 1.3 billion cubic meters.

Indonesia is playing a leading role in coordinating the development of the Trans-ASEAN Transnational Pipeline Network (TAGP), which will connect major producers and consumers of natural gas in Southeast Asia. This task is quite difficult, as the blocks with the highest gas reserves are far removed from the main consumer markets.

However, without major new projects, oil production is likely to decline. Gas production can also be expected to continue to decline, but the situation is likely to change after 2016 on the back of new major projects, as well as expectations that a more stable regulatory framework will allow for increased investment inflows.

Oil consumption may decrease in the short term due to the abandonment of the use of oil for electricity generation. Nevertheless, economic growth can lead to a recovery and even encourage further demand growth in the long term, which, in the face of reduced oil production, turns Indonesia into a net importer of crude oil and petroleum products.

The growth of domestic gas consumption in Indonesia will reduce its export potential. Although LNG production will continue to grow due to new projects, it is difficult to expect Indonesia to remain a net LNG exporter.

Malaysia. In the mid-1980s, Malaysia adopted the "Fourth Energy Policy", according to which the country planned to reduce its dependence on oil by increasing the use of natural gas, coal and hydroelectric power.³⁶ As a result, the share of oil in energy consumption decreased from 50% in 2000 to 41% in 2007. Natural gas accounted for the largest share of primary energy consumption in 2007.37.

The country's oil sector is dominated by the national oil company PETRONAS. It has exclusive ownership rights to all oil exploration and production projects in the country, and foreign and private companies must act in accordance with the production sharing agreement (PSA) with the national oil company.

PETRONAS is present in 29 countries and has entered the oil exploration and production segment in 23 of them. In 2000, foreign companies accounted for 23% of its budget surplus. ³⁸ PETRONAS is also a major player in the retail sector, but faces competition from other companies such as Shell, Chevron and BP.

Malaysia's oil reserves are mainly located on the Malay Peninsula shelf and are of high quality, but confirmed oil reserves have declined in recent years. The decline in production from Malaysia's major oil fields over the past decade has been triggered by increased government action to encourage foreign investment in enhanced oil recovery, as well as the development of small, marginal and deep-sea oil fields.

Malaysia ranks second in Southeast Asia in terms of oil production after Indonesia. Total oil production in 2012 was 86 thousand tons per day, which is slightly higher than in 2011 (83.7 thousand tons per day). About 80% of the total volume of liquid hydrocarbons produced is crude oil, while the rest comes from condensate, LNG, gas processed into liquid synthetic fuels, biodiesel, etc. More than half of Malaysia's oil production currently comes from the Tapis field in the offshore Malay basin.

Over the past decade, Malaysia's domestic oil consumption has been growing, while production has been declining, leaving less oil for export. The Malaysian government has set a goal to return the level of oil production to 107 thousand tons per day by 2015. For this purpose, investments are actively attracted in order to increase the yield at existing fields, develop small, low-profit fields by introducing new equipment that provides increased returns, and develop production at new oil and natural gas fields in the deep-water offshore basins of Sarawak and Sabah. The development of deep-water fields is fraught with major technical challenges and encourages closer cooperation between Malaysian energy companies and foreign ones. PETRONAS plans to spend $ 90 billion by 2016 to increase its oil and natural gas production.

In Malaysia's gas sector, PETRONAS dominates exploration and production and is also a leading player in the refining industries. Gas production and consumption have been growing since 2000.

The offshore area of eastern Malaysia also contributes to natural gas production. The Murphy Oil deepwater field on the Sabah shelf produced 3.4 million cubic meters of gas per day in 2008. In 2009, PETRONAS ' SK-311 and SK-309 units on the Sarawak shelf produced 3.7 thousand cubic meters of gas per day.

One of the most active areas of natural gas exploration and production continues to be the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (JDA), located in the Gulf of Thailand. The area is rich in natural gas and is divided into three blocks: block A-18, block B-17 and block C-19. It is jointly managed by the two countries, with each side owning 50% of JDA's hydrocarbon resources.

Over the next decade, gas will be the main driver of overall growth in the Malaysian hydrocarbon market. Although the LNG market in Malaysia will come under increasing pressure from new players such as Australia, Papua New Guinea and the United States, it will continue to be an important supplier for the Asia-Pacific region. The level of oil production will be maintained by increasing oil recovery from reservoirs and offshore fields in the short and medium term and deep-sea development in the long term. This depends, however, on oil prices. Oil consumption will remain on an upward trend, although the reduction of fuel subsidies may reduce the growth rate of oil demand. New energy projects will also support the growth of gas consumption, provided that there is no further reduction in gas subsidies.

Philippines. The development of the oil and gas industry in the Philippines began in 1988. The country's oil sector is dominated by the Philippine National Petroleum Company (PNOC). The Department of Energy of the Philippines oversees compliance with exploration and production licensing laws.

The Philippines produces small amounts of oil and natural gas, so oil consumption in the Philippines is 99% dependent on imports, mainly from the Middle East. The country is a net importer of energy, despite its low level of energy efficiency.-

in terms of consumption compared to its neighbors ³⁹. Under the 2005 energy plan, the Philippines was expected to achieve ^{60% self-sufficiency by 2010.40}

Three exploration wells were drilled in 2007. Drilling was carried out by the British oil company Premier Oil in Raygay Bay, PETRONAS offshore Mindoro and Japan Petroleum Exploration in the Tanon ⁴¹ Strait.

Most of the natural gas produced in the Philippines comes from the Malampaya field, which was discovered in 1992 and is located 80 km from Palawan Island in the South China Sea. The Northwest Palawan basin contains approximately 3.14 million tons of proven and probable oil reserves ⁴².

As of June 2011, the potential oil reserves of the Philippines, calculated from sixteen sedimentary basins located in ⁴³ coastal and marine areas, from the Cagayan basin in the north to the Agusan-Davao basin in the south, as well as the Northwestern Palawan Basin and the Sulu Sea basin along the western flank of the archipelago, amounted to 3.7 billion tons. tons of oil and 1.53 trillion cubic meters of gas ⁴⁴. Recoverable reserves are estimated at 254 million tons of oil, 293 billion cubic meters of gas and 21.9 million tons of condensate ⁴⁵.

In 2013, total oil production was 3.5 thousand tons per day with a daily consumption of 40 thousand tons. In May 2014, the Government held tenders for 11 offshore blocks in the Palawan basin and surrounding areas, including one in the disputed part of the South China Sea. The Philippines has the potential to increase production to 5.2 thousand tons per day by 2019. ⁴⁶ Shell Philippines, a subsidiary of Shell and Otto Energy, plays an important role in the exploration and production segment, while Petron Corporation operates one of the largest refineries in the country.

Dry natural gas production has been steadily declining since 2008 to 2.8 billion cubic meters. m in 2012, while all natural gas is consumed domestically. Production at the Malampaya deepwater field is one of the largest foreign energy projects in the country and is managed by Shell with joint venture partners Chevron and PNOC Exploration Corporation, a subsidiary of Philippine National Oil Company. The Malampaya project provides 30% of the country's energy needs.

The Philippines is likely to remain a small oil and gas producer for the next decade. Due to continued higher consumption growth compared to increased production, the Philippines is likely to remain a net importer of crude oil and petroleum products, and join the world's gas importers.

Oil and gas reserves will continue to grow relatively slowly in the coming years due to the limited number of field discoveries. Oil production may increase between 2014 and 2018 due to new projects, but without further discoveries, it will start to decline after 2018. Gas production will grow slightly due to the stabilization of production at the key Malampaya gas field. However, no new projects are planned to further increase gas production in the Philippines.

Most likely, in the long term, the trend of increasing demand for hydrocarbons will continue due to economic growth. A shortage of domestic oil and petroleum products in the domestic market will keep the Philippines as a net importer of crude oil and petroleum products. Gas consumption is likely to see a larger increase than oil, as it is becoming an increasingly important source of fuel for electricity generation.

Singapore. Although Singapore does not have its own oil and natural gas reserves, it has huge refining capacity. To the share of Singapore-

ra accounts for 33.4% of petroleum products and natural gas in ASEAN. 10% of Singapore's GDP comes from the energy industry.

Singapore has focused its energy policy on maintaining its status as an oil refining and trading hub in Southeast Asia. On the one hand, it encourages foreign investment and strengthens its relations with oil producers. On the other hand, it is trying to attract more foreign direct investment in the oil refining and petrochemical industries, and also encourages more active trade in petroleum products in its market. Singapore's energy companies have made significant investments in ASEAN, the Middle East, South Africa and South America.

Singapore Petroleum (SPC)has hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in Vietnam, the Song Hong basin, offshore East Java, the lower Gulf of Thailand, and the Rakhine Coast of Myanmar. ⁴⁷

While Singapore remains a critical hub for refining hydrocarbons, it faces competition from emerging refiners in the region, such as China and Vietnam.

Singapore's growing gas consumption amid declining pipeline gas exports from Indonesia is increasingly being offset by LNG imports. It is possible that Singapore will re-export LNG in ^the next decade, becoming a regional gas trading center48.

Thailand. The country's oil and gas industry is managed by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), the Petroleum Authority of Thailand. The exploration and production sector is dominated by the national oil company of Thailand Petroleum Authority of Thailand Exploration and Production (PTTEP), which is actively exploring for oil reserves throughout the country, and the main oil refiners are Thailand Oil Company and Banchack Petroleum ⁴⁹.

Thailand is seeking to attract more investment in the production of hydrocarbons to meet the growing demand, trying to increase their reserves and production. The openness of the hydrocarbon exploration and production market and sound financial policies attract foreign oil companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, Total, Chevron, Hess, Mitsui Oil Exploration Company and CNPC. ⁵⁰

Thailand initiated oil exploration in the early 1960s, but oil production was quite low. After the first oil crisis of 1973-1974, the country began to diversify its energy consumption and expanded the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, especially on the shelf. 80% of the country's oil and natural gas production is concentrated in the Mergwi basin in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Future exploration and production projects are linked to the Korati Plateau in the southern Gulf of Thailand.

Thailand is rapidly expanding its refining capacity and petrochemical industry. In 2005, its refining capacity met 78.7% of domestic demand, although oil production accounted for only 30.9% of domestic demand, and imported natural gas accounted for 27.2%, or 8.86 trillion cubic meters. Three blocks in the southern Gulf of Thailand will produce 9 trillion cubic meters. m per year. Other fields are also likely to increase natural gas production. Based on these figures, Thailand will be able to fully supply itself with natural gas and even take on the role of a gas exporter.⁵¹

Thailand's oil production has increased over the past few years, although it remains well below the level of consumption. The largest oil producer in Thailand is Chevron, which accounted for almost 70% of crude oil in 2011

and gas condensate in the country. The largest field is Benjamas Chevron, located in a trough in northern Pattaya. Production in this field peaked in 2006 and declined to less than 4 thousand tons per day in 2010. Chevron is developing satellite fields. RTTER's Sirikit field is a significant source of crude oil with an output of 2.9 thousand tons per day in 2010. In 2009, small companies Salamander Energy and Coastal Energy started exploration.

In 2011, natural gas production was 37 billion cubic meters and consumption was 46.6 billion cubic meters, resulting in imports of almost 9.6 billion cubic meters. Imports are carried out from offshore fields in Myanmar via pipeline. Natural gas production and consumption doubled between 2000 and 2010, with an increase of more than 15% in 2010. In 2011, annual growth in gas production and consumption slowed to 2% and 3%, respectively. This was due to an offshore gas pipeline leak and a major flood that occurred in mid-2011.Due to declining production from old fields, Thailand will be more dependent on imports if no new fields are discovered during the current decade.

Thailand receives significant amounts of condensate as a byproduct of natural gas production. As production expands in the Gulf of Pattani, the amount of condensate should increase steadily, at least until the end of this decade. A quarter of the condensate production is accounted for in the Pailin region, the project operator is Chevron. Another major condensate producer in Thailand is Bongkot Arthit. New projects include RTT's Bongkot South condensate field, which was commissioned in 2012 and produces 2 thousand tons per day. In addition, Chevron's Platong II project, which was commissioned in 2011, is expected to produce a maximum of 2.4 thousand tons of condensate per day.

Vietnam. In 1987, the country began to reform the energy sector, increasing the volume of geological exploration. The reforms marked the beginning of expanding cooperation between local oil and gas companies with foreign ones and opened up the country's oil and gas industries to foreign investment. The results had a positive impact on Vietnam's economic development. Oil and gas production has increased dramatically, making the country one of the largest exporters of resources in Southeast Asia. The main importers of Vietnamese resources are Australia, the United States, Singapore, China, Thailand and Japan. In addition, Vietnam's rapid economic growth and industrialization have stimulated domestic energy consumption. Oil and gas production and processing have become the" locomotive " of the Vietnamese economy.

Vietnam's energy industry is under the almost undivided control of three state-owned companies-Petro Vietnam (PV), Vinacoal and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and their subsidiaries. For example, the largest oil and gas corporation Petro Vietnam has been the main coordinator of oil and gas exploration in the country for more than 40 years. The Corporation actively cooperates with many foreign oil companies: BP, ConocoPhillips, Petronas, Statoil, Talisman, etc. According to Vietnamese law, all foreign investors must coordinate their actions with this corporation.

The " Foreign Investment Law "and the" Oil Law", which were developed in the 1980s, currently regulate the activities of all foreign investors in the oil and gas industry in Vietnam. In the 2000s, significant amendments were made to the laws that significantly simplified the issuance of investment licenses.

Oil and gas deposits have been identified within the South Vietnamese shelf, while gas and condensate fields have been identified in the north of the country. As of today, they remain undiscovered

about 70% of the shelf area, but prospecting is carried out at a rapid pace. As a result of the fact that mostly gas deposits have been discovered on the Vietnamese shelf in recent years, estimates of the volume of hydrocarbon resources have been revised. There is more gas here than oil ⁵². Until 2009 The EIA estimated the shelf gas potential at 192 billion cubic meters, and in 2009 increased it to 610 billion cubic meters. As of 2013, it is about 1 trillion cubic meters.

Oil is produced from nine offshore fields, the largest of which is Bach Ho, which supplies about half of the world's ⁵³ crude oil fields. Resources are being actively explored and extracted in the Ca Ngu Vang and Phuong Dong basins. New fields are also being successfully developed, which gradually leads to an increase in proven oil reserves, which as of January 2013 increased to 588 million tons.

Vietnam's gas sector is also dominated by the national corporation PetroVietnam. The influx of foreign investment since 2007 has boosted gas exploration, significantly increasing Vietnam's proven natural gas reserves. As of January 2013 Vietnam has 700 billion cubic meters of proven natural gas reserves, compared to approximately 192.6 billion cubic meters in 2011.

Nam Con Son, Vietnam's largest gas project, is estimated to cost $ 1.3 billion. This is an integrated gas ^and energy project that provides natural gas supplies from offshore oil fields to the PhuMy power complex via an underwater pipeline at a distance of 370 km54.

In recent years, the Vietnamese shelf has been clearly dominated by Russian state-owned companies (Zarubezhneft, Gazprom, ^{and Rosneft).}

Total oil and gas condensate production will continue to grow in the short term. Oil and gas reserves may also increase significantly. However, the ongoing dispute over maritime borders with China significantly limits opportunities for marine geophysical exploration in the coming years. Demand for gas will exceed supply, making Vietnam dependent on gas imports.

* * *

In a fast-growing economy, regional energy demand has increased more than two and a half times since 1990, and as a result, more and more oil and gas are being used for domestic consumption by producing countries. The development of the oil and gas sector of the ASEAN countries is taking place in the context of increasing state influence and the desire to increase the flow of direct investment. At the same time, the desire to primarily meet domestic energy demand is combined with the desire to maintain its position in the foreign market. It is necessary to note the efforts of the countries of the region to create a production system that connects the entire technological chain: extraction, transportation, processing, and sale of the final product.

The excess of gas demand over production makes most ASEAN countries dependent on gas imports, despite increased exploration and production. To a large extent, the solution of ASEAN's energy problems depends on the development of the offshore zones of the South China Sea, including disputed areas of the sea shelf, where the interests of individual countries, and, above all, China, collide. This poses not only technological but also political challenges to the countries of the region.

1. Nikitina A. ASEAN-thirst for energy / / Oil and gas vertical. 2014. N3. pp. 10-15.

2. ASEAN PLAN OF ACTION FOR ENERGY COOPERATIO N 2010-2015 (APAEC 2010-2015). URL: http://aseanenergy.org/media/filemanager/2012/10/11/f/i/file_1.pdf.

3. BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2014. URL: http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/Energy-economics/statistical-review-2014/BP-statistical-re view-of-world-energy-2014-full-report.pdf.

4. International Energy Statistics (EIA). URL: http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=2&pid=2&aid=12.

5. Russian Energy Agency (REA). URL: http://rosenergo.gov.ru.

6. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD/countries/BN?display=default.

7. Russian Energy Agency (REA). URL: http://www.rosenergo.gov.ru/upload/2012_09_14_TEK_Brnei.pdf.

8. BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2014. URL: http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/Energy-economics/statistical-review-2014/BP-statistical-re view-of-world-energy-2014-full-report.pdf.

9. Russian Energy Agency (REA). URL: http://www.rosenergo.gov.ru/upload/2012_09_14_TEK_Brnei.pdf.

10. URL: http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=BX.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. Total ready to go with Brunei Maharaja Lela Jamalulalam South. URL: http://www.2b1stconsulting.com/total-ready-to-go-with-brunei-maharaja-lela-jamalulalam-south/

14. Ibid.

15. URL: http://www.russian.china.org.cn, February 17, 2011 N294027.

16. Myanmar ranks 41 internationally in volume of natural gas reserves, according to a research paper by the Myanmar Development Resource Institute and the Asia Foundation. URL: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Myanmar-ranks-41-in-natural-gas-reserves-30236640.html.

17. Ibid.

18. Myanmar Politics. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Union of Myanmar, June 2008. URL: http ://mm.china-embassy.org/chn/ljmd/abad/t469167.htm.

19. A Brief on Myanmar Oil and Natural Gas Production in 2002. Chembb.com, 23 February 2003. URL: http://www.chembb.com/InfoCenternews/complex_deatils.asp?profession_sort=07&sort=ICA07&i d=A07030226004.

20. URL: http://www.oilru.com/news/404389/

21. PTTEP is part of Thailand's largest PPT company.

22. PTTEP delivers first load of Myanmar gas to Thailand and ramps up production. URL: http://www.oilandgastechnology.net/upstream-news/pttep-delivers-first-load-myanmar-gas-thailand -ramps-production.

23. URL: http://www.russian.china.org.cn, February 17, 2011 N294027.

24. URL: http://www.chinapro.ru, August 5, 2014 N1142296.

25. Shwe Naural Gas Project, Myanmar. URL: http://www.offshore-tecnology.com/project/shwe-natural-gas-project.

26. URL: http://www.oilru.com, March 4, 2010 N201592.

27. Myanmar ranks 41 internationally in volume of natural gas reserves, according to a research paper by the Myanmar Development Resource Institute and the Asia Foundation. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Myanmar-ranks-41-in-natural-gas-reserves-30236640.html.

28. URL: http://www.irrawaddy.org/business/burmas-oil-production-tipped-decline-fuel-imports-increase.htm l.

29. Ibid.

30. Yang Xueyan. Environment and Strategy of International Operation for China's Oil Companies. Beijing: Beijing Petroleum Publishing House. 2004. P. 283-5.

31. PwC report on oil and gas in Indonesia. URL: http://www.pwc.com/id/en/publications/assets/oil-and-gas-guide_2012.pdf.

32. Country Analysis Brief - Indonesia. General Background, EIA, January 2007. URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Indonesia/Background.html.

33. URL: http://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/Indonesia/indonesia.pdf.

34. BanyuUripproject. URL: http://www.exxonmobil.co.id/indonesia-english/pa/about_where_cepu_bu.aspx.

35. Indonesia asks Exxon to change the head of the division in the country. URL: http://oilcapital.ru/company/194801.html.

36. Oil and Natural Gas: Opportunity and Challenge / Ed. Lai Xiangjun. Beijing: Chemical Industry Press, 2005. P. 248.

37. Fu Qingyun. World Energy Outlook. Beijing: China Da Di Press, 2004. P. 16; BP Statistical Review of World Energy. 2008. June. P. 40-41.

38. Wu Lei. China's Petroleum Security. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 2003. P. 237.

39. Fu. World Energy Outlook. P. 9.; "Country Analysis Brief - The Philippines". General Background // EIA. 2008 Aug. Available at URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Philippines/Background.html. Data for the Philippines was mainly cited from this book and this brief.

40. Guo Chunju. The Philippines: Exploring South China Sea Implications For Nan Sha Island (the Spratly Islands) // Can Kao Xiao Xi (Reference News). 2004. 1 Apr.

41. Xue Li. Energy Development in ASEAN Countries and Sino-ASEAN Energy Cooperation // S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Singapor. 2009. 2 Apr.

42. Country Analysis Brief - The Philippines. GeneralBackground // EIA. 2008. Aug.

43. PHILIPPINE SEDIMENTARY BASINS. URL: https://www.doe.gov.ph/microsites/archives/pcr/Philpra/sed_basin_nw.htm#sed.

44. URL: http://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/philippines-oil-and-gas-profile.

45. Philippines Oil And Gas Profile. URL: http://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/philippines-oil-and-gas-profile.

46. URL: http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=RP&trk=pl.

47. Singapore Power and Babcock & Brown May Raise Offer For Alinta to Compete with Macquarie Bank. In-En.com, 17 April 2007. Available at URL: http://www.in-en.com/newenergy/news/intl/2007/04/INEN_82081.html.

48. URL: http://store.businessmonitor.com/singapore-oil-gas-report.html.

49. Petroleum Authority of Thailand // PTT. news. cnpc. com. en. 2007. 2 March. Available at URL: http://www.oilnews.com.cn/bk/system/2007/03/02/001064719.shtml.

50. Yang. Environment. P. 288-290.

51. Country Analysis Brief - Malaysia. March 2007.

52. Tyurin A. Vietnam moves away from the oil and gas dictate of the West with the help of Russian state-owned companies. URL: http://pomowyu_rossijskih_goskompanij/

53. Country Analysis Brief - Vietnam. General Background // EIA. 2007. July. URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Vietnam/Background.html.

54. Vietnam Starts Use of its Largest Electricity Syndicate, 21 April 2005. URL: http://www.chnapower.com.cn/newsarticle/1022/newl022547.asp; Largest Electricity-generation Facility in Vietnam Built in Vung Tau Province. Chinapower.com.cn, 14 April 2005. URL: http://www.chinapower.com.cn/newsarticle/1022/newl022407.asp.

55. Tyurin A. Edict Op.

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