A newly confirmed offshore gas reservoir east of the Malampaya field has been assessed as capable of generating power for millions of homes and public institutions for a year, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a video released on Monday, Marcos disclosed that the discovery—identified as Malampaya East 1 (MAE-1)—contains an estimated 98 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Based on current projections, that volume could yield close to 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
“I am pleased to inform everyone that for the first time in over a decade, a significant natural gas discovery has been made. The discovered reservoir called Malampaya East 1 or MAE-1 is located about 5 kilometers east of the existing Malampaya Field,” the President said.
He explained that the projected output would be sufficient to power more than 5.7 million households, thousands of commercial structures, and nearly 200,000 schools for a year. “This means it can supply electricity to more than 5.7 million households, 9,500 buildings, or nearly 200,000 schools for one year,” Marcos added.
Initial flow tests recorded production of about 60 million cubic feet of gas per day, a rate the President described as comparable to earlier Malampaya wells. “Initial testing showed that the well flowed at 60 million cubic feet per day. This indicates the well has the potential to produce even more, confirming it is a high-productivity resource comparable to the original Malampaya wells,” he said.
Beyond natural gas, the reservoir also holds condensate, a liquid hydrocarbon that can be sold separately and used to support power sector stability. Marcos said this additional output could help reinforce efforts to secure the country’s energy supply.
The President also highlighted the local workforce behind the project, noting that Filipino engineers and workers led the drilling operation. “We are proud that Filipinos led this drilling operation. Most importantly, they completed it without any accidents or environmental incidents,” he said.
MAE-1 is the first completed well under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling program, which includes the Camago-2 and Bagong Pag-asa wells. Further activity under the campaign will cover the completion and testing of Camago-3 and the drilling of the Pag-asa Exploration well to assess other prospective gas zones.
“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,” Marcos said.
