Five kilometers east of the current Malampaya field off the coast of Palawan, natural gas was discovered. Manila: According to local media, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Monday the discovery of natural gas at Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1), which is situated 6km east of the current Malampaya field off Palawan, providing a major boost to the country’s energy security. This is the first significant discovery in the Philippines in more than ten years. With an estimated 98 billion cubic feet of gas, the well can provide 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to power 200,000 schools or 5.7 million homes. Campaign for drilling Enrique Razon’s Prime Energy made the discovery as part of a $893 million drilling effort after preliminary testing revealed daily flows of 60 million cubic feet.
It helps Luzon transition away from coal imports by prolonging the life of the diminishing Malampaya field, which provides 35–40% of the island’s electricity. The location is in the West Philippine Sea. Economic benefits are promised by this innovation.
