The Department of Energy (DOE) is exploring a new well in the same Malampaya gas field that looks promising as a source of power supply well beyond 2028.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on Tuesday said the exploration campaign — targeting Camago-3, Malampaya East, and a newly designated well dubbed “Bagong Pag-asa” — holds promise for ensuring a steady fuel supply over the next decade.
“If this was not done, we’d run out of gas,” Garin told reporters in a Palace briefing, stressing the urgency of replenishing Malampaya’s depleting reserves.
Commercial production began in 2002, but the field’s output has steadily declined. Malampaya currently supplies about 20 percent of Luzon’s electricity needs.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday flew over the project site off Palawan, where the Noble Viking drillship is boring more than three kilometers into the seabed. Garin said the President’s visit underscores a long-term view on energy security. “He knows the results of this won’t be felt for 10 years, but he wants this to secure the next generation,” she said.
The government expects to complete drilling and testing within the year, with possible production from any viable new wells by late 2025. So far, Camago-3 and Malampaya East are showing “excellent prospects,” while Bagong Pag-asa remains a hopeful third.
In parallel, the DOE is preparing to award eight new exploration contracts, including two hydrogen projects and two involving areas under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Garin said global interest remains strong, with prospective investments from firms in Australia, Israel, the United States, and the UAE. She pegged the energy exploration sector’s investment potential at around $43 billion, crediting improved policies and political leadership for the renewed confidence.
But she acknowledged that geopolitics continues to complicate exploration. Areas in the West Philippine Sea like Reed Bank remain untapped, despite being offered under existing contracts. “It’s difficult to explore and invest $1 billion in a disputed area,” she said. “On the safe side, we focus on areas that are not contested.”
While the Philippines remains open to joint ventures, the DOE is prioritizing secure, uncontested zones to protect investor confidence and ensure long-term energy stability.
