India, Indonesia, and Malaysia are set to lead upcoming upstream project starts in Asia through 2030, supported by rising energy demand and policy measures designed to strengthen energy security and reduce import dependence. Furthermore, established infrastructure — pipelines, processing capacity, and LNG infrastructure — particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia, also support the growth of oil and gas production projects by shortening the time to market and thereby making more projects commercially viable.
India is expected to be at the forefront in terms of the production project starts in Asia, with 50 scheduled to come online during the 2026 to 2030 outlook period. This growth is underpinned by rapid urbanisation and industrialisation and continued capital investment from public sector companies such as ONGC and IOC. More than 70% of the upcoming projects in the country are greenfield developments. Conventional gas projects will lead the country’s project starts, accounting for over half of the upcoming field projects by 2030. However, most of these projects are in the early stages of development (feasibility and approval).
Upcoming field project starts in Asia by key countries, 2026–2030*
*New build: A project that is being built for the first time.
*Expansion: An expansion of an existing/operational project.
Indonesia follows, with 47 project starts —29 new builds and 18 expansion projects during the outlook period. Conventional gas projects are slated to lead, representing about two-thirds of the upcoming projects, due to rising demand from domestic and industrial sectors. Over 75% of these projects are in the pre-construction stages, while the rest are in the construction and commissioning stages.
Malaysia is also likely to witness 23 project starts — 15 new build and eight expansion projects by 2030. Conventional gas projects are expected to account for over 60% of the upcoming field projects in the country, supported by strong domestic demand and established export/LNG-linked infrastructure. About 58% of the upcoming conventional gas projects are in the early stages of development (feasibility and FEED), while the remaining projects are in the construction and commissioning stages.
Further details on oil and gas projects can be found in GlobalData’s new report, “Global Oil and Gas Projects Outlook by Type and Segment, Development Stage, and Key Regions to 2030 (H2 Update)”.
