MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced a major natural gas discovery near the Malampaya gas field off Palawan—the first significant find in more than a decade—describing it as a major boost to the country’s long-term energy security and domestic power supply.
In a recorded video released on his official social media platforms, Marcos said the newly identified reservoir, Malampaya East 1 (MAE-1), is located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya field and is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
“I am pleased to inform everyone that for the first time in over a decade, a significant natural gas discovery has been made,” the President said, noting that the volume could generate roughly 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Marcos said the projected output from MAE-1 could supply electricity to more than 5.7 million households, 9,500 buildings, or nearly 200,000 schools for one year, easing pressure on the country’s energy system.
Initial production tests showed the well yielding about 60 million cubic feet of gas per day, which Marcos said is comparable to the original Malampaya wells. The discovery also produced condensate, a valuable liquid fuel byproduct.
“This indicates that the well has the potential to produce even more,” Marcos said, stressing that the additional resource would help stabilize the national power supply.
The President said the discovery is expected to extend Malampaya’s contribution to the Philippine energy mix and strengthen domestic gas availability in the coming years. He also highlighted that Filipino workers led the drilling operations, which were completed without accidents or environmental incidents.
MAE-1 is the first major milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling program, which also includes the Camago-2 and Bagong Pag-asa wells. The Malampaya gas field is located within Service Contract 38, about 65 kilometers northwest of Palawan.
Marcos said further work is ongoing, with plans to complete and test the Camago-3 well and proceed with drilling the Pag-asa exploration well to assess additional gas prospects in the area.
In his video caption, the President said the discovery gives “fresh momentum” to the government’s push for a stable and reliable energy supply.
The MAE-1 discovery was made by the Service Contract 38 Consortium led by Prime Energy, chaired by businessman Enrique Razon Jr., together with partners UC-38, PNOC Exploration Corporation, and Prime Oil and Gas Inc.
“Patunay ito na sa responsableng pangangalaga sa kalikasan at matibay na pagtutulungan ng gobyerno at pribadong sektor, makakamit natin ang mas maaasahang supply ng enerhiya para sa bawat Pilipino,” Marcos said./PN
