Oil in Mindanao? Butuan couple hopeful

BUTUAN CITY – Is Mindanao sitting on a vast deposit of crude oil?

The couple who discovered petroleum deposits on their swampy property in Barangay Pagatpatan in this city in 1982 yesterday said all foreign engineers and geologists who visited the area and made studies confided to them that the petroleum found on their land is only part of a huge fossil fuel deposit in Mindanao that extends as far south as the Cotabato provinces.

Ireneo and Antonia Bolonggaita recounted to The STAR how Canadian petroleum engineers illustrated in 1985 the extent of fuel deposits underneath their land, adding that the Canadian engineering team said they believe the Mindanao oil deposit is the source of all the petroleum deposits in the world.

The Canadians shared with the Bolonggaitas their theory that the Mindanao fossil fuel deposit is the mother lode from which other oil producing countries’ crude oil emanates.

The Bolonggaitas also said the Canadian engineers likened the Mindanao petroleum deposit to a river that serves as the water source of its tributaries.

However, the Bolonggaitas admitted they did not understand the scientific explanations for this given by the Canadian engineers.

"They were amazed with the discovery and even chuckled when they found out (using) their instruments the extent of oil deposits underneath my land," Ireneo said.

"But when local officials and even some national officials came and talked to these Canadians, we never saw nor heard of (the Canadians) again," Ireneo added.

Ireneo said the Canadians left them calling cards but added that the Canadians’ enthusiasm over the petroleum died a natural death over the 11 years since the engineers’ visit. The Bolonggaitas also lost the team’s calling cards bearing the logo of the Canadian National Oil Co.

The Bolonggaitas said many foreigners, including some Japanese and Americans, had arrived on their land ahead of the Canadians claiming to be petroleum engineers and geologists but, like the Canadians, they never returned after speaking with government officials.

These foreign engineers and geologists flocked to the Bolonggaita residence after their house was flooded in 1982 "with black, muddy liquid."

That substance was petroleum that had percolated up through the swampy ground and with it came free-flowing methane gas "that emits from the water well we dug," Ireneo said.

The Bolonggaitas also recalled that their property was featured on the television show "Travel Time" and said their land has become a regular stop for field trips by students from different parts of Mindanao.

The Bolonggaitas said they are amazed at how many rich traders and politicians are interested in buying their land now, when, before the discovery, "no one even wanted to look at it. They weren’t interested because it is swampland" on which few crops would grow and construction is difficult.

They said they wanted to share the free-flowing methane gas with their community because it is a gift from God and nature so the nearly 500 residents of low-cost, socialized housing in Barangay Pagatpatan could benefit from it.

Methane gas is colorless and odorless and is usually found in conjunction with the discovery of crude oil. Methane gas is used as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Floripes Baria Bonite, president of the socialized housing project Ga’am Butuan, said that at P540 per LPG tank, most local homeowners could not afford cooking gas. Bonite added that if the local government will help the community to pipe the methane gas into their homes for use as cooking gas, "it will really help a lot."

Ga’am Butuan, Couples For Christ, Gawad Kalinga and other socio-civic and religious organizations are helping the urban poor affected by the CARDBP project for relocation and housing.

"If the government is serious about this discovery, it could help save our country from the soaring prices of crude oil," Ireneo said. "Is the discovery a solution to our present worsening oil crisis? Only God knows, and we hope that before we lose our last breath we can enjoy this God’s gift to us."