by Phoenix l Published April 14, 2026

The Philippine government announced that the Malampaya gas field’s newest development phase is on track to deliver its first gas by the fourth quarter of 2026 following recent drilling activities off the coast of Palawan.

Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Malampaya Phase 4 (MP4) project remains on schedule after the successful drilling, completion, and flow testing of the Camago-3 well.

“The Malampaya Phase 4 (MP4) development is expected to deliver gas by the fourth quarter of 2026,” Castro said.

She added that the Camago-3 well flowed at rates of up to 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, confirming a substantial addition to Malampaya’s remaining gas resources.

Castro explained that Camago-3 is a significantly larger resource, with recoverable gas volumes estimated to be about 2.5 times greater than those of the Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1) well.

She said this effectively doubles the volume of gas that can be produced from Malampaya’s remaining reserves.

It was also noted that the combined output of Camago-3 and MAE-1 is expected to extend the operating life of the Malampaya gas field by around six years while providing a cheaper alternative to imported liquefied natural gas.

The Malampaya consortium, led by Prime Energy with joint venture partners UC38 LLC, Prime Oil & Gas, Inc., and PNOC Exploration Corporation, continues to advance development activities under MP4.

Castro said these include the installation of new subsea pipelines to connect additional resources to the Malampaya platform.

She also identified Northern Earth Energy Inc. as the company that will handle the development of the project.

Castro said the next major step is the drilling of the Bagong Pag-asa exploration well located about 30 kilometers north of the Malampaya site.

She added that Malampaya Phase 4 has been certified as a Project of National Significance and has generated more than $14 billion in revenues for the Philippine government since its inception.

When asked about possible setbacks, Castro said the government is prepared to pursue alternative measures if the well does not deliver as expected.

“That’s why we are trying—exhausting the government fund… If it won’t work out, we have another well we’ll drill which is the Camago well,” she said.

Castro also assured the public that there is sufficient fuel supply to cover the period before the new gas output becomes available.

“The government has enough fuel for the remaining quarter,” she said.

“As per DOE, huwag daw tayong mabahala dahil may reserve pa,” Castro said, adding that Iran has signaled that the Philippines can pass through the Strait of Hormuz to secure fuel imports.