Drilling operations for the Malampaya Phase 4 project have officially begun following the arrival of the Noble Viking drillship at the Bagong Pag-Asa site off Palawan.
The Department of Energy claims the project will boost energy security and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project has supplied up to 40 percent of Luzon’s power demand since 2001.
Phase 4 involves drilling three new wells—Camago-3, Malampaya East-1, and Bagong Pag-Asa-1—led by Prime Energy.
The DOE emphasized the urgency of timely execution with gas delivery conveniently projected for late 2026, over a year before the next presidential election.
The SC 38 consortium, along with government cheerleaders, hailed the ceremonial start as a big win for the Filipino people—eventually.