A Vietnamese naval soldier stands quard at Thuyen Chai island in the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea in this file photo taken on January 17, 2013. Vietnam’s state energy firm Petrovietnam ‌has invited investors to participate in an open tender for an offshore oil ‌and gas block in the South China Sea, it said today. — Reuters pic (New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. Monday, 25 May 2026 5:10 PM MYT HANOI, May 25 — Vietnam’s state energy firm Petrovietnam ‌has invited investors to participate in an open tender for an offshore oil ‌and gas block in the South China Sea, it said today.The invitation is for the Block 17 in the Cuu Long basin, on the country’s continental shelf, the company said in a statement.Vietnam has been seeking to ‌boost domestic oil and ⁠gas exploration and production ⁠as the Iran war ⁠continues to disrupt global ⁠supplies.Registration for ⁠bidders will run from June 1 to June 15, while ⁠access to technical data will be provided between June 18 and July 31, Petrovietnam said in a notice.Tender documents will be issued ⁠from August 3 to August 14, with bids due by September 16, ⁠it said, adding that the tender will ⁠be ⁠conducted through an open bidding process.The company didn’t disclose the estimated ‌reserves for the block or any investment requirements. — Reuters