Sunda Energy, the AIM-quoted exploration and appraisal company focused on gas assets in Southeast Asia, has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary SundaGas Banda Unipessoal, Lda. ('SundaGas'), operator of the TL-SO-19-16 Production Sharing Contract, offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, has been awarded an Environmental Licence (EL) for the drilling of the Chuditch-2 appraisal well.
As announced by the Company on 10 February 2026, SundaGas submitted final Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Management Plan documents earlier this year, following an extensive period of consultations with, and feedback from, upstream regulator Autoridade Nacional do Petróleo ('ANP'). Following endorsement of the EIS and EMP by ANP's Evaluation Committee, award of the EL was approved by His Excellency the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and the 'Category A' EL was issued to SundaGas by ANP on 9 March 2026. The EL is valid until 9 March 2028 and includes certain conditions, principally around submission of a waste management plan to ANP prior to operations and for a post-drilling environmental survey.
A copy of the EL along with final versions of the EIS and EMP will be made available on the Company's website shortly.
Further updates regarding operational preparations will be provided in due course.
Dr Andy Butler, CEO, commented:
'Award of the Environmental Licence for Chuditch-2 is a major milestone in our drilling preparations, and the fruit of considerable survey works, studies, reviews and planning. I thank my colleagues and ANP for the strong collaborative efforts that went into preparing the extremely thorough EIS and EMP documents.'
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