is a

hydrocarbon exploration Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for deposits of hydrocarbons, particularly petroleum and natural gas, in the Earth using petroleum geology. Exploration methods Vis ...

, production, and transportation company. JAPEX explores and produces crude oil, natural gas, and

liquefied natural gas Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the vol ...

reserves worldwide. JAPEX has proven reserves of 272 million barrels in Japan and the rest of the world. Aside from operations in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto ...

, Yamagata and Niigata in Japan, JAPEX has major operations in Canada, Indonesia and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

. Although currently a private company, the

Government of Japan The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary stat ...

owns a 34% stake in JAPEX.Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. Company Profile
/ref>

History

JAPEX was founded in 1955 as a government-owned company in order to seek petroleum self-sufficiency for Japan. Between 1958 and 1968, JAPEX discovered 10

oil fields A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presence ...

within Japan. In 1965, JAPEX's operational range began to go overseas and in 1967, JAPEX was incorporated into the government-owned Japan Petroleum Development Corporation (JPDC) and in 1968 JAPEX signed an agreement with the Government of Sabah North Borneo to the exploration of oil and gas for the first 10 years of the agreement. On 1 April, In 1970, JAPEX was separated from the JPDC and reorganized as a privately owned company.JAPEX History and Information
/ref> In 1971, Japex Offshore Ltd. was created, spurring international and offshore exploration and production. In 1978, Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited (JACOS) was established. From 1980 to 2006, JAPEX would establish Japex U.S. Corps, Japex New Nanhai Ltd., Japex Pipeline Ltd., Shirone Gas Corp. Ltd., Japex Libya Ltd., Japex Block A Ltd., Japex Philippines Ltd. and Japex Buton Ltd. Between 1985 and 2005, JAPEX opened offices in Beijing, London, Jakarta,

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

and

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

as well.

Operations

JAPEX's exploration and production operations in Japan primarily center on Niigata,

, and

. Overseas, JAPEX is focused on Southeast Asia, Canada, North Africa, the Middle East, and

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh ...

in Russia. In 2007, JAPEX produced 132 thousand barrels of oil equivalent a day; 100 thousand overseas and 32 thousand domestically. Domestically, JAPEX conducts exploration and production near existing reserves while also exploring other areas of Japan. JAPEX is also working on systems to supply more natural gas and

to a broader base of customers in Japan. JAPEX is currently extending and upgrading an already 826 km natural gas pipeline. Overseas, JAPEX works to acquire the rights to already discovered oilfields and to acquire exploration rights in order to find additional oil reserves. JAPEX is involved in projects within the United States, Russia (

Sakhalin Islands Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh: ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, Canada,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, Libya and had negotiated for

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

's oil reserves as well.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Japex Oil companies of Japan Non-renewable resource companies established in 1955 Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Government-owned companies of Japan Japanese companies established in 1955