Malampaya Gas Field Completes Maintenance, Boosting Domestic Supply

Tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.’s Prime Energy on Friday said it has completed the maintenance turnaround of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project. The maintenance turnaround restored indigenous gas production at Service Contract No. 38 and also paved the way for the startup of new wells under the Malampaya Phase 4 (MP4) project, Prime Energy said in a news release. The gas exploration company said delivery at the Malampaya resumed on July 15, 2026 after the successful month-long turnaround which enabled routine maintenance works and completion of key upgrades across Malampaya’s offshore and onshore facilities. Prime Energy said the turnaround covered works at the Shallow Water Platform (SWP) in northwest Palawan and the Onshore Gas Plant (OGP) in Tabangao, Batangas City. In addition to ensuring the reliability and integrity of key production facilities, the maintenance work also advanced preparations for the integration of the Malampaya East-1 and Camago-3 wells, which are expected to deliver first gas in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the company. Prime Energy said new wells represent one of Malampaya's most significant infrastructure upgrades in recent years and will strengthen domestic natural gas supply while extending the field's productive life by up to six years. "Completing this turnaround safely is essential to maintaining the reliability of Malampaya's operations and supporting the country's energy needs," said Donnabel Kuizon Cruz, president and CEO of Prime Energy. "This activity was also critical to preparing our facilities for the next phase of indigenous gas production so that homes, businesses, and industries continue to benefit from a reliable domestic energy source,” said Cruz. The maintenance, inspection, and engineering activities across offshore facilities, subsea infrastructure and onshore systems were carried out by hundreds of engineers, technicians, offshore specialists, marine crews, and contractors. The company said the campaign was completed safely and gas supply was resumed on time despite weather-related challenges. Throughout the maintenance period, Prime Energy said it worked closely with the Department of Energy, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and its power generation customers to coordinate the planned outage and implement alternative fuel arrangements. “That close coordination proved particularly important during Super Typhoon Inday, when Malampaya provided emergency gas supply to Prime CoreGenpower plants after severe weather temporarily disrupted LNG terminal operations, ensuring a seamless fuel transition and preventing a power plant shutdown,” it said. “For more than two decades, Malampaya has supplied indigenous natural gas to power plants in Batangas, helping support the country's energy requirements and reducing dependence on imported fuels,” it added. —VAL, GMA News