Malaysia's Petronas awards Block SB405 to ConocoPhillips

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas said on Friday it had awarded Block SB405 in North East Sabah Basin to ConocoPhillips East Malaysia Ltd (COPEM).

The firm said the award of the block was expected to bolster exploration activities off the coast of Sabah state.

"The entry of COPEM with its world class proprietary seismic technology into Block SB405 is expected to enhance the hydrocarbon resource potential off the coast of Sabah," said Mohamed Firouz Asnan, senior vice president of Malaysia Petroleum Management.

(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Edmund Blair)