Central & SE Asia / Australasia
Country profile: Vietnam
| Location: | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia |
| Climate: | tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March) |
| Terrain: | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest |
| Size: | 329560 sq. km total (Land area: 325360 sq. km Water area: 4200 sq.km) |
| Population: | 86,116,559 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) |
| Government: | Communist state |
| Capital city: | Hanoi |
| Legal system: | based on communist legal theory and French civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Currency: | dong (VND) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
Over the course of two decades Vietnam has emerged as an important regional producer of oil and natural gas in Southeast Asia. The country has boosted exploration activities, allowed greater foreign company involvement in the oil and natural gas sectors, and introduced market reforms aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s energy industry. While these efforts have helped Vietnam expand production of oil and natural gas, domestic consumption of these resources has also increased as a result of rapid economic growth.
The country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by an average 7.3 percent over the last ten years. Half of Vietnam’s domestic energy consumption comes from oil, with hydropower (20 percent), coal (18 percent), and natural gas (12 percent) supplying the remainder.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 319,500 bbl/day (2007) | 6 billion cu m (2007 est.) |
| Consumption: | 271,100 bbl/day (2007) | 6 billion cu m (2007 est.) |
| Exports: | 315,700 bbl/day (2007) | |
| Imports: | 271,100 bbl/day (2007) | |
| Reserves: | 3 billion bbl (2007 est.) | 184 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Major fields: |
Vietnam - recent news
| 30 Jun 25 |
Vietnam/Philippines: Coro Energy announces Corporate Update Coro Energy, the South East Asian renewable energy developer, has provided an update across its clean energy portfolio in Vietnam and the Philippines. |
| 27 Jun 25 |
Vietnam: Petrovietnam and its JV partners sign PSC for Block 15-1 Petrovietnam and its joint venture partners have officially signed the Product Sharing Contract (PSC) for Block 15-1 in the southern continental shelf of Vietnam. The signing officially kicks off Phase 2B of the White Lion Project, a major $1.3 billion investment. |
| 10 Jun 25 |
Vietnam: Pharos Energy receives approval for a two-year extension of the Exploration Period of Blocks 125 & 126 Pharos Energy has received approval from the Vietnamese Government for the two-year extension of the Exploration Period (from 9 November 2025 to 8 November 2027) of the Blocks 125 & 126 Production Sharing Contract (PSC). The Company continues to progress active discussions with potential farm-in partners. |
| 21 May 25 |
Velesto secures new drilling contract for NAGA 4 in Vietnam Velesto Energy has been awarded a drilling contract by Phu Quoc Petroleum Operating Company in Vietnam. Under the contract, Velesto’s NAGA 4 jack-up rig will undertake drilling activities for more than 40 wells. |
| 24 Apr 25 |
Vietnam: PETRONAS powers Vietnam’s energy future with its first LNG cargo delivery to PetroVietnam Gas PETRONAS, through its subsidiary, PETRONAS LNG Ltd. (PLL) has successfully concluded the delivery of its first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) cargo to PetroVietnam Gas (PV Gas). |
Vietnam - more news
Other countries in this region
- Australia,
- Bangladesh,
- Brunei,
- Cambodia,
- China,
- Fiji,
- Hong Kong,
- India,
- Indonesia,
- Japan,
- Laos,
- Malaysia,
- Maldives,
- Mongolia,
- Myanmar,
- Nepal,
- New Zealand,
- North Korea,
- Pakistan,
- Palau,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Philippines,
- Singapore,
- South Korea,
- Sri Lanka,
- Taiwan,
- Thailand,
- Timor Leste
