HCMC – The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) confirmed a new offshore oil discovery at the Hai Su Vang field in the Cuu Long Basin, saying initial appraisal results show large potential, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The discovery is located at the Hai Su Vang-2X (HSV-2X) well in Block 15-2, about 65 kilometers off the coast of southern Vietnam, according to the ministry.
At a regular fourth-quarter 2025 press briefing held on January 29, Dang Hai Anh, deputy head of the Oil and Gas and Coal Department, said U.S.-based Murphy Oil is involved in exploration activities in Blocks 144–145 and Blocks 15-1 and 15-2. A Murphy Oil subsidiary is the operator of Block 15-2.
Murphy Oil began drilling an exploration well at Hai Su Vang in 2024. In 2025, the company successfully drilled an appraisal well to assess the field’s size, reserves, and development potential. Based on the results so far, the field is assessed to have large potential.
Under current regulations, the investor must continue appraisal work and submit oil and gas resource and reserve reports to competent authorities for review and approval.
Vietnam’s oil output in 2025 was estimated at around 10 million tons, with gas production of about six billion cubic meters.
To ensure accurate assessment, the MOIT has requested the investor to prepare detailed reports for appraisal by the relevant authorities. The ministry will coordinate with Petrovietnam and related agencies to review the findings.
Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, deputy minister of the MOIT, described the discovery as a positive result for the energy sector and said further appraisal and evaluation would continue.
Earlier, Murphy Oil said its subsidiary successfully drilled the Hai Su Vang-2X appraisal well in Block 15-2/17 in the Cuu Long Basin, about 40 miles, or more than 64 kilometers, offshore Vietnam.
The well was drilled from early October 2025 to further evaluate the Hai Su Vang discovery announced earlier in 2025. The initial discovery well identified about 370 feet, or 113 meters, of oil-bearing reservoirs across two zones.
Results from the HSV-2X appraisal well show a thicker oil column, with total oil-bearing thickness reaching 429 feet, or 131 meters, mostly in the deeper main reservoir.
