{{About|the company|the method of finding oil and natural gases|Oil exploration}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{bots|deny=Citation bot}} {{Infobox company |name = |type = Dual listed |traded_as = {{ASX|OSH}} |logo = Oil Search logo.svg |former_name = |industry = Petroleum |founded = 1929 |founder = |defunct = December 2021 |hq_location_city = Port Moresby |hq_location_country = Papua New Guinea |area_served = |key_people = Richard Lee (Chairman)<br>Kieran Wulff (Managing Director) |services = Oil & gas exploration |revenue = US$ 1.1 billion |revenue_year = 2020 |operating_income = (US$ 175 million) |income_year = 2020 |net_income = (US$ 321 million) |net_income_year = 2020 |num_employees = |divisions = |subsidiaries = |website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20211129090146/https://www.oilsearch.com/ www.oilsearch.com] }}

'''Oil Search''' was the largest oil and gas exploration and development company incorporated in Papua New Guinea, which operated all of the country's oilfields. In December 2021, it merged with Santos.

==History== Oil Search was incorporated in Port Moresby on 17 January 1929.<ref>[https://www.oilsearch.com/about-us/history History]Oil Search {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912073933/https://www.oilsearch.com/about-us/history |date=12 September 2021 }}</ref> It was one of Papua New Guinea's largest companies, and in 2006 was responsible for 13% of Papua New Guinea's gross domestic product.<ref name=Profile>[http://www.oilsearch.com/About-Us/Company-Profile.html Profile] at official site</ref> It was publicly listed on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange.<ref name=Profile/> It had a market capitalization of around US$12&nbsp;billion.

A 17.6% interest in the company was held by the Government of Papua New Guinea,<ref name=Profile/> The company also operates areas in Yemen, Egypt, Libya, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq.<ref name=Profile/> In May 2014, ExxonMobil shipped the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US$19&nbsp;billion PNG LNG Project, in which Oil Search owns a 29% interest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lngindustry.com/news/liquefaction/articles/First_cargo_from_PNG_LNG_655.aspx#.U84_V4BdXGJ |title=LNG news – First cargo from PNG LNG |website=lngindustry.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727033939/http://www.lngindustry.com/news/liquefaction/articles/First_cargo_from_PNG_LNG_655.aspx |archive-date=2014-07-27}}</ref>

In 2021, Oil Search agreed terms with Santos to merge,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freed |first=Jamie |date=2021-08-02 |title=Oil Search, Santos close to deal to create top 20 global oil firm |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/australias-santos-hikes-bid-oil-search-690-bln-2021-08-01/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |agency=Reuters|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-08-01 |title=Oil Search, Santos to Merge Into $16 Billion LNG Powerhouse |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-01/santos-sweetens-oil-search-takeover-offer-to-seal-board-support |access-date=2024-12-12 |publisher=Bloomberg News|language=en}}</ref> with Oil Search shareholders taking a 38.5% shareholding in Santos.<ref>[https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20210910/pdf/450ch30qk53l4h.pdf Santos and Oil Search combine to create a regional champion of scale with a diversified portfolio of long-life and low-cost oil and gas assets] Oil Search 10 September 2021</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/santos-oil-search-reach-agreement-merge-2021-09-10/ Santos, Oil Search agree to merge despite scrutiny in Papua New Guinea] Reuters 10 September 2021</ref> The merger took effect on 14 December 2021.<ref>[https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20211210/pdf/454130h2bmxh1k.pdf Santos and Oil Search merger becomes effective] Santos 10 December 2021</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Category:Energy companies established in 1929 Category:Energy companies disestablished in 2021 Category:Former dual-listed companies Category:Mubadala Investment Company Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1929 Category:Non-renewable resource companies disestablished in 2021 Category:Oil and gas companies of Papua New Guinea Category:1929 establishments in the Territory of Papua Category:2021 disestablishments in Australia

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