Angkor Resources Corp. (TSXV: ANK) announced that its planned oil and gas exploration drilling program on Block VIII in Cambodia has advanced to an inter-ministerial review, with a meeting held July 14, 2026, in Phnom Penh. The meeting is a critical step in the review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the program, which would mark Cambodia's first privately financed onshore oil and gas wells.
Management of the company's wholly owned Cambodian energy subsidiary, EnerCam Resources Co., Ltd., met with representatives from five government ministries and three provinces to discuss the drilling program in detail. The meeting included more than 26 representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Rural Development. Green Assessment Co., Ltd., the Cambodian independent EIA consultant, presented its findings alongside EnerCam.
The EIA covers the four sub-basins that host the drill targets for EnerCam's planned four-well exploration program. Ahead of the meeting, officials from the General Department of Petroleum and the Ministry of Environment visited each planned drill site with local landowners and authorities. Mike Weeks, President of EnerCam, stated: 'This meeting reflects the thorough, transparent process behind the drilling program. The EIA lays out exactly how we will source and manage water and drilling fluid, keep each site safe, and restore the land if a well is not productive — all to international standards, and all done in partnership with the Ministries and the communities where we operate.'
Key topics covered in the EIA and the inter-ministerial meeting included how drilling fluid and water are sourced, used, stored, and cleaned throughout the process, using steel tanks and pits with impermeable liners to protect soil and groundwater. Safety measures before, during, and after drilling at each site were addressed, drawing on the company's experienced personnel and internationally recognized well-control standards (IWCF and API). The discussion also covered post-drilling procedures: if a well is productive, the small well site is connected by buried pipeline to a central facility; if not, the land is fully restored to its original or similar condition. Initiatives to expand ESG practices to ensure communities and local residents benefit from each activity while protecting land, water, and air quality were also explored.
Further written responses to questions will be compiled by Green Assessment over the coming weeks toward the final submission report for the ministries to complete the process. Following completion of the report, EnerCam will move to publish its tender for the drilling contractor to complete the planned exploration wells. This advancement underscores Angkor Resources' commitment to responsible resource development in Cambodia, aiming to prove the nation's own oil and gas resources.
