Marcos announces major Malampaya gas find, boosts energy security

MANILA, January 20 ------ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr announced a major natural gas discovery near the Malampaya field, calling it the country’s first significant find in more than a decade and a critical boost to the Philippines’ energy security.

In a video message shared on social media, Marcos said the newly discovered reservoir, Malampaya East One (MAE-1), is located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya field and is estimated to hold around 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place.

Marcos said the gas volume is equivalent to 14 billion kilowatt-hour of electricity per year, enough to supply power to around 5.7 million households, 9,600 buildings, or nearly 200,000 schools annually. “This helps Malampaya’s contribution and strengthens our domestic gas supply for many years to come,” he said.

Initial testing showed the well flowed at 60 million cubic feet per day, indicating high productivity comparable to the original Malampaya wells, Marcos said. Aside from natural gas, the discovery also yielded condensate, a high-value liquid fuel that can further support the government’s efforts to stabilize power supply. The President also highlighted the role of Filipino expertise in the project. “Ipinagmamalaki rin natin na Pilipino ang nanguna sa drilling na ito. Natapos nila ito nang walang aksidente o environmental incident,” Marcos said.

MAE-1 marks the first milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign, which also includes the Camago-2, Camago-3, and Bagong Pag-asa wells, aimed at securing additional gas resources. The project is being undertaken by the SC3A consortium led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC38, PNOC Exploration Corporation and Prime Oil & Gas Inc.

The Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, located off the coast of Palawan, is the country’s only indigenous source of natural gas and powers up to 20 percent of Luzon’s electricity needs, and the new discovery is expected to extend the life of the country’s primary domestic gas source while reducing reliance on imported fuel.

Energy security boost

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the discovery of a new natural gas source is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s energy security and reduce dependence on costly imported fuel. “At a time when energy security continues to be an obstacle to faster economic growth, this development offers an opportunity to reduce reliance on expensive imported fuel,” Gatchalian, chairperson of Senate Committee on Energy, said in a statement. “Ang anumang enerhiya na mula sa sarili nating bansa ay malaking ambag tungo sa isang mas matatag at sapat na suplay ng kuryente,” he said.

Source: pna.gov.ph