Bright prospects seen for LNG market in RP

Prospects for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) market in the country look bright, according to the developers of the Malampaya natural gas fields in Palawan.

Shell Philippines Exploration BV (Spex) managing director David Greer said the country could start importing LNG by 2005 provided the natural gas infrastructure is in place. Spex, Texaco of the US and the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) are the members of the consortium that is developing the natural gas fields in offshore Palawan.

"We have the potential to bring in liquefied natural gas from Sabah, for example. LNG can be brought in from the region and through a long pipeline into Central Manila using a combination of Malampaya (gas) as well as regionally-available LNG," Greer said.

Greer said that in order to obtain additional supplies in case it is necessary, Manila can import LNG from the region including maximizing the proposed Trans-ASEAN gas pipeline.

The infrastructure involved would be the 500-kilometer sub-sea pipeline from the offshore site to the processing center in Tabangao, Batangas. From there, the natural gas will run through an inland pipeline to three power plants located within Batangas.

The three plants have a combined capacity of 2,700 MW. These are the 1,000 MW Sta. Rita combined cycle plant, the 500-MW San Lorenzo plant and the 1,200 Ilijan power plant. – Ted Torres