Marcos Inspects Malampaya Phase 4, Boosting Energy Security Hopes

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday conducted an aerial inspection of the progress of the Malampaya Phase 4 Project in Palawan, which aims to expand natural gas supply and extend the productive life of the Malampaya gas field. The inspection comes as the government accelerates the development of the Malampaya gas field, the country’s only producing natural gas field. Government seeks to extend its operational life beyond the previously projected 2027 depletion of its reserves. READ: Malampaya East 1 gas field discovered — Marcos “This is an important step toward reducing our dependence on imported LNG and providing a more reliable energy supply for millions of Filipino households,” said Marcos in a social media post. Expected to supply enough natural gas to power about 13 million homes, the Malampaya Phase 4 Project will include three new wells: Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1), Camago-3 and Bagong Pag-asa-1. The MAE-1 and Camago-3 wells were successfully drilled and tested in January and March 2026, with combined initial estimated reserves of around 222 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Citing the Department of Energy (DOE), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the pipeline connecting the MAE-1 and Camago-3 wells to the existing Malampaya subsea production system was completed in June 2026. “The government targets the delivery of new gas supply from the two wells by the fourth quarter of 2026 while preparations continue for the drilling of the Bagong Pag-asa-1 well,” it read. The newly discovered reserves equate to about 31.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power an estimated 13.1 million households for one year. “The successful drilling of the MAE-1 and Camago-3 wells is also expected to extend the productive life of the Malampaya gas field from 2027 to 2034,” it read. /apl