Natural gas extraction from new Malampaya find seen to take at least a year

MANILA, January 21 ------ It will take almost a year to produce actual natural gas from the new reservoir discovered near the Malampaya facility. Energy Undersecretary Alessandro Sales explained that experts from the operator Prime Energy will first need to build the pipes that will connect the well to the production facilities to extract the natural gas that will fuel various power plants in Batangas.

That work 1,000 meters from the surface takes time, including testing, so the actual extraction and flow of natural gas from the discovery will likely happen by the end of 2026 or early 2027. "Isipin mo na lang na magtatrabaho ka sa ganun kalalim na dagat, lahat ng trabaho sa ilalim ng dagat at ang lalim ng dagat 1,000 meters so talagang ingat ang kailangan," Sales said.

But he added there is also great potential in the two other sites - the Camago 3 and Bagong Pag-asa wells, which are within Service Contract 38. For Camago 3, there is a potential haul of 100 to 110 billion cubic feet of natural gas, while the Bagong Pag-asa, in case it has a natural gas deposit, would probably reach around 400 to 800 billion cubic feet of fuel.

The Bagong Pag-asa field, Sales said, is around 50 kilometers from the current Malampaya facility and remains free from any drilling activity. "Kailangan pag-aralan paano maikakabit, dahil medyo malayo at magkano ang magagastos kung ikakabit po natin kapag magkaroon ng discovery ulit dyan sa Bagong Pag-asa," said Sales.

Aside from the seas of Palawan, the DOE is also keen on the prospects of gas reserves in Sulu Sea, where 5 service contracts were awarded last year.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com