PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A Shell Philippines official is confident that reserves in the Malampaya gas project offshore Palawan will go beyond its expected 2029 life expectancy.
Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. Managing Director Don Paulino made this statement in an interview on Wednesday following the inauguration of the PSU-Malampaya Engineering Laboratory at the Palawan State University (PSU), where the gas joint venture partners donated laboratory and library equipment.
“Kung ma-fully consume man ang Malampaya by 2029, I believe na ito ay may kapalit. Kung ano man ‘yon ay di natin alam at di pa natin nakikita (If reserves will be fully consumed in Malampaya by 2029, I believe it will be replaced. What it is… is something we do not know yet, and we haven’t found),” he said.
The Malampaya, which delivers and supplies to three major power plants in Batangas, and fuels about 40-50 percent of power in Luzon, is expected to start diminishing in 2024 and fully consumed by 2029.
He cited that in the case of North Sea oil in Europe, reserves of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, are still found despite predictions they will only be good for 20-30 years.
“Lumampas na ng 50 years pero ang North Sea oil ay nandyan pa rin (It’s over 50 years, and yet, North Sea oil is still there),” he said.
“This is a reservoir, we believe it will stay beyond 2029, there will still be plenty of resources that Malampaya can give,” he added.
He said that everything they do today in Malampaya would help shape and sustain the “energy of the future,” and would continue to provide clean, reliable, and indigenous power to the Filipino people.
“Exploring in the indigenous gas is now the forefront of the Philippine energy industry,” Paulino said, believing now was the time to fully support ongoing exploration activities by the Philippine National Oil Company–Exploration Corporation. PNA-northboundasia.com