DOE Promotes Upstream Exploration Program in South American Leg of International Roadshow

September 2, 2019

TAGUIG CITY -  As part of its mandate to foster the exploration and development of indigenous energy resources, the Department of Energy (DOE), through its Energy Resource and Development Bureau, promoted the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP) at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) International Conference and Exhibition (ICE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 27 to 30 August 2019. 

Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos led the DOE Delegation in presenting the PCECP scheme to conference participants. During the four-day event, 80 companies engaged in upstream petroleum services, as well as consultancy and publishing firms visited the DOE-PCECP booth for a briefing on the program. In addition, the Delegation held 20 exploratory meetings with major petroleum companies, such as ExxonMobil, Kuwait Oil Company, Petronas, Shell E&P, and PetraGroup.

"The PCECP is a key program of the Department to revitalize our upstream oil industry, which enables us to showcase what the country has to offer in terms of petroleum exploration. As we embark on the road towards energy self-sufficiency, we are in need of suitable partners who would help us harness our indigenous resources," DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized.

One of the largest gatherings of professionals and investors in the petroleum industry from over 60 countries, AAPG is considered an important platform for discussions on technical, strategic, and economic issues affecting the advancement of global oil and gas exploration technology. 

At present, there are 19 active petroleum service contracts in the Philippines. Shell Philippines Exploration, Total E&P, PNOC-EC, Nido Petroleum, Philodrill, PXP Energy, and Galoc Production Company, are among the operator-partners of the DOE. Stemming from the success of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, which is the largest natural gas industrial project in the country to date, the PCEP aims to have similar if not greater projects of that scale.
 
Succeeding PCECP International Roadshows are slated to take place in Canada and Abu Dhabi in the later part of the year. 

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