Talisman celebrates a decade of success in Vietnam

Henry Groen

On the occasion of Canada Day, VIR talks with Henry Groen, vice president and interim general manager of Talisman Vietnam.

When did Talisman enter Vietnam and how?

Talisman first entered Vietnam in 2001 through the acquisition of working interest in Block PM3-CAA (Commercial Arrangement Area with Malaysia) and in Block 46 Cai Nuoc and since then Talisman has been a very active investor in oil and gas industry of Vietnam.

What has Talisman invested in within Vietnam during the last 10 years?

The Joint Operating Company (JOC) of Talisman/PetroVietnam and Petronas (Truong Son JOC) brought online the first oil from Song Doc Field in 2008 and the field has seen stable production with impressive safety records since then. Thang Long JOC between Talisman and PetroVietnam are expecting to bring online the first oil from Block 15-2/01 in 2013.

What contribution has Talisman made to the local oil and gas industry of Vietnam?

Talisman takes the local context very seriously and over the last decade, we’ve awarded $3.25 billion to local contractors. To-date, Talisman has invested in excess of $1.8 billion in various projects here and we have generated over $2 billion for Vietnam

Talisman’s school bag program will help keep thousands of school children safe

What is Talisman’s investment plan for the next decade in Vietnam?

We have all been witness to the amazingly successful and rapid industrialisation of Vietnam over the last 10 years and we at Talisman recognise the need to discover and deliver new sources of energy to fuel Vietnam’s ever increasing demand for power. Talisman, with its offshore expertise will help Vietnam to unlock potential sources of gas to secure additional supply of clean energy for Vietnam.

Song Doc field

What is Talisman’s philosophy for working with the community?

Wherever we operate, Talisman strives to make a positive impact in the community. To-date, we have invested in a number of community projects in Vietnam, including the rebuilding of kindergartens and primary schools damaged by devastating floods in the central provinces, providing scholarship for outstanding ethnic minority girls, sending Vietnamese students to Canada for masters degrees. Recently Talisman sponsored an innovative school bag programme for children in areas prone to flash flooding. The school bag doubles as a life vest and we hope that this programme will help keep thousands of school children safe as they go to and from school every day by boat along rivers where flooding is common.