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Headlines

Phl shelves seismic project in Spratlys

- Donnabelle L. Gatdula -
May 23, 2011 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines -  The government has put on hold plans to conduct a seismic undertaking in the Kalayaan Islands in the Spratlys, a top energy official said over the weekend.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said they decided to put the proposed program in the back burner pending resolution of some issues.

“As far as the DOE (Department of Energy) is concerned... it has been put on hold. We do not want to move without the go signal from the foreign affairs department,” he said.

Almendras said “it’s better to ask the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) on this matter. The DFA group has the most appropriate answer on this.”

He also said the Philippines has talked with the government of Vietnam on a possible cooperation agreement similar to the joint marine seismic undertaking (JMSU).

The JMSU, which was signed in March 2005 by the Philippines and China, called for the two countries’ joint exploration of petroleum resource potential in the South China Sea. When Vietnam, a claimant of portions of the Spratlys, protested, it was included in the agreement. The JMSU was not renewed after it lapsed in July 2008.

“There was a good development in ASEAN: we’re all going to work together to try to resolve some problems common to all of us, particularly fuel and food supply. There have been discussions. It’s a common problem. ASEAN will discuss it further. The foreign affairs ministers will discuss, and the Department of Foreign Affairs is in the best position to discuss these issues,” Almendras said.

Since late 2009 the DOE has reportedly been in the process of selecting international contractors to conduct seismic acquisition program for the Reed Bank Basin, including the Kalayaan Islands.

Earlier released data from the DOE showed a shortlist of four international contractors for the 2D seismic survey.

The shortlist includes PGS Asia Pacific (Singapore) through its representative Nick Newham, CGG Veritas (Singapore) through Dominic Boitier, Fugro Geo Team AS of Norway through Armat Jani Girsang, and Geraldine Geo Survey Lt. of the United Kingdom represented by Cliff Whatrup.

Sources at the DOE earlier revealed this was merely data gathering that would allow the Philippine government to identify potential reserves in these areas.

The DOE noted that the program, with a cost of P75 million, was specifically utilized for the so-called Philippine National Continental Shelf Delimitation Project.

“The provision of services to acquire and process new 2D seismic data, gravity and magnetic data in the Reed Bank and Kalayaan Island Group is for the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project submission to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas,” the document said.

The DOE sources, however, declined to elaborate on project details as this may result in another controversy on the disputed territory.

The Reed Bank basin is about 71,000 sq. km. in area and located about 250 kms west of Palawan.

The DOE earlier estimated total resources in the basin at 440 million barrels of oil.

ALMENDRAS

ARMAT JANI GIRSANG

ASIA PACIFIC

CLIFF WHATRUP

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

DOE

DOMINIC BOITIER

ENERGY SECRETARY JOSE RENE ALMENDRAS

EXTENDED CONTINENTAL SHELF

KALAYAAN ISLANDS
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