PHOTO: Malampaya Shallow Water Platform in offshore Palawan, Philippines. (Photo courtesy: Presidential Communication Office)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the Malampaya gas field as a key pillar of the country’s energy security during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, describing the latest natural gas discovery as a “national treasure” that will help sustain indigenous energy production for years to come.
“Because of the extension as well of the Malampaya service contract until 2039, drilling operations once again resumed for the first time in eight years. What we have uncovered is truly a national treasure,” Marcos said.
He added that the newly discovered reserves are sufficient to supply electricity to approximately 1.6 million households over the next eight years, underscoring the importance of Malampaya in meeting the country’s growing energy needs.
His remarks came just days after his July 23 fly-by of the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform off the coast of Palawan. Malampaya is the Philippines’ only indigenous source of natural gas and supplies fuel to power plants that provide a significant portion of Luzon’s electricity requirements.
The reserves were identified through the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign being undertaken by the Service Contract 38 (SC 38) consortium, led by Prime Energy. The recently drilled Malampaya East-1 and Camago-3 wells are scheduled to deliver first gas later this year, extending Malampaya’s productive life and reinforcing the country’s long-term energy security.
Marcos said the successful exploration campaign has also renewed interest in the country’s upstream petroleum sector and encouraged further investments in indigenous energy resources.
“Inspired by this development, we have already awarded a total of fourteen petroleum service contracts—in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. By far, this is the highest number of such contracts ever to be awarded during a single term of any President in our history,” he said.
Beyond Malampaya, President Marcos reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to expanding the use of indigenous and renewable energy resources to reduce dependence on imported fuel.
For its part, Prime Energy welcomed the President’s recognition of Malampaya’s contribution to the country’s energy security and acknowledged the Department of Energy’s (DOE) support in enabling continued investment in indigenous gas development.
“The extension of SC 38 provided the regulatory certainty needed to resume exploration and drilling activities in Malampaya,” Prime Energy said. “We thank the Department of Energy for its support and look forward to bringing the Phase 4 wells into production later this year to help sustain the country’s indigenous gas supply.”
PHOTO: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, July 23, conducted a fly-by of the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform off the coast of Palawan, taking a firsthand look at the offshore infrastructure that plays a vital role in the country’s energy security. The inspection comes as the SC38 consortium prepares to bring the successfully drilled Malampaya East-1 and Camago-3 production wells online. Expected to deliver first gas by the fourth quarter of 2026, the new wells will help sustain indigenous natural gas production and extend the productive life of the Malampaya field. (Photo courtesy: Presidential Communications Office)
