DOE chief pins hopes on MP4 project for energy security

RESERVOIR Malampaya in offshore Palawan is the country’s only indigenous commercial source of natural gas. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Department of Energy (DOE) officer-in-charge Sharon Garin has high hopes for energy security in the country as drilling operations for the Malampaya Phase 4 (MP4) project officially start.

This is after the 7th generation drillship Noble Viking arrived at the Bagong Pag-Asa Drill Site offshore Palawan on Thursday.

“This development not only strengthens our energy security and reduces our dependence on fossil imported fuel,” she said during the event at the drill site as quoted in the DOE press release issued Friday.

The Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, which started operations in 2001, supplies as much as 40 percent of Luzon’s power demand.

Under the fourth phase, three new wells will be drilled – the Camago-3, Malampaya East-1, and Bagong Pag-asa 1.  The  project will be undertaken by Prime Energy.

READ: Drilling firm tapped to extend life of Malampaya field

The energy department underscored the importance of the project’s timely implementation, with the first gas delivery expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“This occasion marks a significant moment not only for the SC 38 consortium but also for the government, and more importantly, for the Filipino people we are committed to serving,” Garin added.