Benefits must be balanced

摘要

THAILAND'S national upstream company PTTEP this week signed new contracts to take over the giant producing Bongkot and Erawan gas fields when the existing concessions expire in a few years' time, writes Amanda Battersby. PTTEP had triumphed over rival bidder and existing Erawan operator Chevron in last year's auction process for the two Gulf of Thailand blocks. It is universally claimed by Thai government officials that PTTEP made the better commercial bid for the Bongkot and Erawan assets. However, the spectre of resource nationalism already appears to haunt some Asian countries, and there is concern in some quarters that Thailand could follow suit.