Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Royal Thai Government regarding the Area of their Overlapping Maritime Claims to the Continental Shelf.”

The MOU 2001 (often referred to as MOU 44 / MOU 2544) is a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed on 18 June 2001 between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Royal Thai Government. 

Its purpose was to establish provisional arrangements for the Overlapping Claims Area, while Thailand and Cambodia negotiated simultaneously toward:

1. The OCA covers ~27,000 km² in the Gulf of Thailand
2. Agreement on the delimitation of the territorial sea, continental shelf and EEZ
3. A joint development arrangement for hydrocarbon resources
   

   1. Natural Gas Estimates

   Most widely cited estimate (credible, conservative):

   • ≈ 11 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas (This figure appears consistently in regional energy assessments and academic studies.)

   Value

   • At ~$6 per thousand cubic feet → ≈ $66 billion in raw gas value (Before extraction costs.)

   🛢️ 2. Oil & Condensate Estimates

   There are two tiers of estimates:

   A. Conservative estimate (used by most analysts):

   • ≈ 300 million barrels of oil/condensate

   B. High estimate (controversial, not universally accepted):

   • 4.3 to 8.7 billion barrels (This comes from older geological speculation and is not considered reliable by all experts.)

   Value

   • At ~$80 per barrel →
     • Conservative: ≈ $24 billion
     • High estimate: ≈ $344–696 billion

   💰 3. Cambodia’s own official statement

   Cambodia’s Ministry of Mines & Energy has publicly stated the OCA may contain:

   • ≈ $300 billion in total hydrocarbon value

   This aligns with the mid‑range between conservative and high estimates.

MOU 2001 – Document on UN

MOU2001_ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand

MOU 2001 – Cambodia Watchdog Council International (CWCI), which is a non‑governmental organization (NGO)