The Philippines has made its first major natural gas discovery in greater than a decade, a development that might strengthen domestic energy supply and support rising power demand, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Monday.
The reservoir, called Malampaya East-1, lies about 5 kilometers east of the prevailing Malampaya gas field off Palawan province
“This extra resource might help support the federal government’s efforts for the stabilization of our power supply,” Mr. Marcos said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
The sphere is estimated to carry about 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place. That is corresponding to roughly 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a 12 months, enough to provide about 5.7 million households annually.
The invention is anticipated to increase Malampaya’s role within the country’s energy mix and reinforce domestic gas supply in the approaching years.
Initial tests showed the well flowing at about 60 million cubic feet of gas per day, a level Mr. Marcos said is comparable to the unique Malampaya wells and indicates strong productivity.
The find also includes condensate, a high-value liquid fuel that might further support efforts to stabilize electricity supply. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana