‘Significant’ volume of natural gas discovered in Malampaya — first in over a decade

MANILA, Philippines – An estimated 98 billion cubic feet of gas were discovered some five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya field, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced Monday, January 19.

The discovery, the first in over a decade, “helps Malampaya’s contribution and strengthens our domestic gas supply for many years to come,” said Marcos. 

The new reservoir, called Malampaya East-1 or MAE-1 is estimated to contain 98 billion cubic feet of gas. Condensate was also discovered in the reservoir.  

The discovery, said the President, is the equivalent of over 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in a year. It was made by a consortium under Service Contract Number 38, led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC38, PNOC Exploration Corporation, and Prime Oil & Gas Inc. 

“Initial testing show that the well flowed at 60 cubic feet per day. This indicates that the well has the potential to produce even more, confirming it is a high-productivity resource, comparable to the original Malampaya wells,” said Marcos. 

“This additional resource can help support the government’s efforts for the stabilization of our power supply,” he added. 

In May 2023 Marcos signed the renewal agreement for Malampaya Service Contract 38, which extended the contract to February 22, 2039. “This project will reduce our country’s dependence on oil imports and ensure a more stable supply of cleaner energy from an indigenous local source,” Marcos said at the time. 

MAE-1 is only the first under a larger Malampaya Phase 4 Drilling Campaign, which also covers the Camago-2 and the Bagong Pag-asa wells. The completion and testing phase of Camago-3 and the drilling of the Pag-asa exploration well are among the next steps in Malampaya. – Rappler.com