Angkor Resources Corp. announced on September 30, 2026, that Cambodia's Ministry of Environment has granted final approval for its wholly owned subsidiary, EnerCam Resources Co., Ltd., to drill exploratory wells on four sub-basins of the Block VIII onshore oil and gas concession in southwest Cambodia. The approval, which follows a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment and an inter-ministerial review held on July 14, 2026, marks a critical step toward the first privately financed onshore drilling for oil and gas in the Kingdom.
The approval covers all four sub-basins hosting EnerCam's defined drill targets: Bokor South, Bokor Central, Bokor North, and Kirirom. These sub-basins span Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, and Kampong Speu provinces. The inter-ministerial review involved more than 26 representatives from five government ministries and three provinces, underscoring the thoroughness of the process. Mike Weeks, President of EnerCam, stated, "With approval now in hand on all four sub-basins, we move to the Ministry of Mines and Energy on the individual components of the drilling program, and that includes the well logging and the downhole tools." He added that the process sets a precedent for onshore drilling in Cambodia as the sector develops.
EnerCam now advances to the Ministry of Mines and Energy with applications covering specific components of the drilling program, such as downhole logging and well operations. The company is also completing due diligence on several potential drilling contractors ahead of a tender. The 70+ page tender document will be reviewed and approved by the MME before publication. Once a contractor is engaged, mobilizing drilling equipment to the sites takes approximately three months. The company's 4+1 drill program contemplates one exploration well in each of the four sub-basins, followed by a fifth well located based on the results of those wells under a Production Sharing Contract. A figure outlining Block VIII with the four identified sub-basins and five planned drill targets is available at Figure 1 Outline of Block VIII with four identified sub-basins representing five planned drill targets, called 4+1 leaving the fifth well location to be determined after drilling the first four.
Block VIII covers approximately 4,095 square kilometers under a 30-year Production Sharing Contract with the Royal Government of Cambodia. As Cambodia imports 100% of its hydrocarbon-based energy products, discovering a domestic supply of oil and gas remains a high priority for the Kingdom. EnerCam's program would be the first privately financed onshore drilling for oil and gas in Cambodia, and a discovery would begin to offset what the Kingdom currently spends importing hydrocarbon energy. The company has completed 350 line-kilometers of 2D seismic and defined drill targets across the four sub-basins.
Angkor Resources Corp., listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange, is a leading resource explorer and developer in Cambodia. Its mineral subsidiary, Angkor Gold Corp. Co., Ltd., holds two mineral exploration licenses with multiple prospects in copper and gold. EnerCam Resources Co., Ltd. was granted the onshore oil and gas license for Block VIII and is actively advancing exploration activities to prove Cambodia as a nation with its own oil and gas resources. Further updates on the drill program, drilling contractors, and well-planning progress are expected at regular intervals. The original release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com, and additional information is available at resources.com.
