-- Japan Petroleum Exploration (TYO:1662) plans to quadruple its oil and gas output to 180,000 barrels per day by 2035 while investing 1.16 trillion yen in the sector, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday, citing CEO Michiro Yamashita.
The investment represents nearly 80% of Japan's second-largest domestic energy developer's 1.5 trillion yen growth plan, marking a shift from green projects amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the publication said.
JAPEX revised its business plan on Wednesday to prioritize a stable energy supply over its earlier decarbonization push, the news daily said.
Under the transformed strategy, JAPEX also set an interim production target of 100,000 barrels per day for fiscal 2031, compared with the 45,000 barrels per day expected for fiscal 2025, the report said.
Yamashita said at a news conference that rising geopolitical risks have made oil and gas more critical, reversing JAPEX's previous plan to shrink those businesses to 60% of profits by 2026 and 50% by 2030 in favor of green projects like wind power, it added.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)