Oil firms get more time to apply for exploration blocks in The Philippines

The Philippines government has extended the application period deadline for oil companies interested in acquiring oil and gas exploration acreage in pre-defined areas.

Malampaya Platform / Copyright: Shell / Photographer: Mario Babiera
Illustration only: Malampaya Platform / Copyright: Shell / Photographer: Mario Babiera

The country’s energy ministry said this week that that 180-day application period for the Pre-Determined Areas (PDAs) offered under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP), has been extended from May 21, 2019, to August 19, 2019.

The ministry, which launched the program in November 2019, said the extension would provide additional time for applicants and other interested parties to submit their complete application documents.

The PCEP program is aimed at developing the country’s oil and gas resources to meet the Philippines’ energy demand. The energy ministry last year said that under the PCECP, there were two modes of application potential investors may pursue.

First, the interested oil firms can bid on the 14 Pre-Determined Areas identified by the DOE – one in Cagayan, three in East Palawan, three in Sulu Sea, two in Agusan-Davao, one in Cotabato, and four in West Luzon.

Alternatively, the applicants can nominate other areas of interest. In this mode, applications could be submitted at any time of the year and would be subjected to a 60-day challenge period, the ministry said in November 2018.

According to data on the energy ministry’s website, there are currently 23 active petroleum service contracts in the Philippines with the following developers: Shell Philippines Exploration, Total E&P, PNOC-EC, Nido Petroleum, Philodrill, PXP Energy, and Galoc Production Company, with the largest project being Shell’s Malampaya development.

Offshore Energy Today Staff


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