The Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) said conduct of studies to prove the potential of the Liguasan Marsh in Mindanao as a fuel resource will be resumed as newer forms of technology that will limit the negative impact to the environment have become available.
“We continue to have studies and dual partnership with the academe and some of our proponents in order to undertake onshore development and using the newer methods and technologies so we can reduce our negative impact to the environment,” said Rozzano Briguez, PNNOC-EC president and chief executive officer, in a virtual briefing.
Briguez said will start with Sultan Kudarat’s portion of the Liguasan Marsh and then wait until policies between the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the national government are sorted out before fully exploring the area.
The marsh which traverses the provinces of Maguindanao, Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat has long been considered by government as having possible oil and gas deposits.
Briguez had said more studies were to be conducted by PNOC-EC together with the DOE and the University of the Philippines in the country’s sedimentary basins to improve the success of future oil and gas exploration activities.
Studoes were started two years ago in 16 sedimentary basins to entice investors.
Sedimentary basins are areas under bodies of water where majority of oil and gas reservoirs are found.
There are 19 active petroleum service contracts in the Philippines with Shell Philippines Exploration, Total E&P, PNOC-EC, Nido Petroleum, Philodrill, PXP Energy and Galoc Production Co. as operator-partners.
