Natural gas discovered at Malampaya East 1 —Marcos

Source: GMA Integrated News

Author: ANNA FELICIA BAJO

Publisher: GMA Integrated News

Published January 19, 2026 7:40am

Updated January 19, 2026 4:42pm

Original link: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/973311/marcos-says-discovery-of-malampaya-east-1-to-strengthens-domestic-gas-supply/story/

Malampaya East 1 or MAE-1, located about 5 km east of the existing Malampaya Field offshore Palawan, was found to have natural gas, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. announces on Monday, January 19, 2026. Screenshot from Bongbong Marcos FB

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday announced the discovery of natural gas reservoir in the Malampaya Field, which aims to strengthen the country's gas supply in the coming years.  

In a video message, Marcos said the discovered reservoir, called Malampaya East 1 or MAE-1, is located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya Field. It is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place. 

''Katumbas nito ang halos labing apat na bilyong kilowatt hour ng kuryente sa isang taon. Ibig sabihin, makakapagsuplay ito ng kuryente sa mahigit 5.7 milyong kabahayan, siyam na libo’t limang daan na gusali, o halos dalawang daan libong paaralan sa loob ng isang taon,'' Marcos said. 

(This is equivalent to almost 14 billion kilowatt hours of power in one year. That means it can supply power to more than 5.7 million households, 9,500 buildings, or almost 200,000 schools in one year.)

Marcos said that based on the initial testing, the well flowed at 60 million cubic feet per day, indicating that it has the potential to produce even more and that it is a high productivity resource compared to the original Malampaya wells. 

''Aside from the natural gas, the discovery also includes condensate, which is a high-value liquid fuel,'' Marcos said.

''This additional research can help support the government’s efforts for the stabilization of our power supply,'' he added. 

Filipinos lead in the drilling of this gas field, according to Marcos, noting that no untoward incident took place during the process. 

Marcos said that the MAE-1 is the first milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign, which also includes the Camago-2 and the Bagong Pag-asa wells. 

''The next steps are the completion and testing of the Camago-3, followed by the drilling of the Pag-asa Exploration well to pursue more potential gas resources,'' Marcos said.

He said this achievement was made possible through the work of the SC-38 Consortium, led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC-38, PNOC Exploration Corporation, and Prime Oil and Gas Incorporated.

''Patunay ito na sa responsabling pangangalaga sa kalikasan at matibay na pagtutulungan ng gobyerno at pribadong sektor, makakamit natin ang mas maasahang supply ng enerhiya para sa bawat Pilipino,'' Marcos said.

(This just goes to show that through responsible protection of the environment and strong cooperation between the government and private sector, we can attain having reliable power supply to benefit each Filipino.)

'A breakthrough'

In a separate statement, Prime Energy, operator of Service Contract No. 38, lauded the discovery of the new natural gas field at MAE-1 as a breakthrough for Philippine energy independence.

“This gas discovery is a victory for the Filipino people,” the firm said. “When we assumed operatorship, we committed to the President and the nation to breathe new life into Malampaya and revitalize the indigenous natural gas sector. Today, we are delivering on that commitment.”

“We thank President Marcos for his leadership, particularly for approving the extension of SC38 and for the enactment of the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, which provides the stability and confidence needed to pursue continued exploration of additional gas resources,” it added.

Prime Energy operates SC38 together with its partners UC38 LLC, PNOC Exploration Corporation, and Prime Oil and Gas Inc.

The company said the next phase of the Malampaya 4 drilling campaign involves the completion and testing of Camago-3, followed by the drilling of Bagong Pag-asa exploration well. —KG/RF, GMA Integrated News

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