THE Department of Energy (DoE) said the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling program is expected to be completed within the year to determine the extent of the remaining gas resources in the field.
“Within the year, we will know if there is any resource there,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said in a briefing last week.
Ms. Garin said that the drilling is on track and “very positive.”
Demujin F. Antiporda, assistant director of the DoE’s Energy Resource Development Bureau, said drilling at Camago well — one of the three sites being evaluated in Phase 4 — is expected to be conclude by the end of July or early August.
“We have two development wells ongoing, to be followed by one exploration,” he said.
Phase 4, part of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, covers the Camago and Malampaya East production wells and the Bagong Pag-asa exploration well. The project aims to extend the life of the Malampaya gas field, which supplies about 20% of Luzon’s power needs.
The project is operated by the Malampaya consortium, which is composed of Prime Energy Resources Development B.V., UC38 LLC, Prime Oil & Gas, Inc., and state-owned PNOC Exploration Corp.
“It’s a gamble for the country. But we’re very hopeful because all of the geologic studies show that there is potential in those areas,” Ms. Garin said.
Last month, the DoE announced the arrival of the seventh-generation Drillship Noble Viking at the Bagong Pag-asa site off Palawan, with first gas, if any, expected by the fourth quarter of 2026.
In October, the Malampaya Phase 4 was certified as an energy project of national significance, making it eligible for expedited permit processing. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera