The Senate Energy Committee sees the resource-rich Philippine Rise (Benham Rise) east of Aurora province as the country’s hope for energy security in the next decade.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, committee chairman, said the area is rich with methane hydrates, viewed as the new fuel source, and has no claimant unlike the West Philippine Sea (WPS) where China refuses to honor a decision of the United Nations Arbitration Court awarding the WPS to the Philippines.
West Palawan, seen as an alternate to Malampaya gas fields whose gas output has begun to dwindle, is ostensibly rich in oil and gas “but it is within China’s (historic) nine-dash-line claim,” he said.
Unlike Philippine Rise, West Palawan has geo-political issues to be resolved, he added.
Although drilling and converting methane hydrates into commercial fuel might take 10 years or more, Gatchalian it is important to tackle the issue now since 10 years is just around the corner.
The Philippine Rise and West Palawan were discussed during Gatchalian committee’s public hearing on a Senate resolution directing an appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the national strategy to ensure energy security and energy self-sufficiency in view of the continuing increases in world oil prices.
Gatchalian said the country at present produces 55 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy, natural gas and other sources.
He said whatever direction the scales go, whether energy would be sourced more from imports or not, still Philippine security and the consumers, would be affected.
“Energy security in any country is a very important in any political and governance goal . This hearing was compelling DOE (Department of Energy) to focus energy security as part of their planning process. The DOE admitted it is in their eight-point agenda but it is not detailed,” he added.
Gatchalian said a possible joint Philippine-China exploration in West Palawan might secure Philippine energy security “assuming we explore gas and oil.”
During the hearing, the Philippine Petroleum Association said West Palawan has a very big potential in the country’s energy security directions “but it remains to be explored.”
