The Philippines DOE offers 11 exploration blocks

The Philippines Department of Energy has today offered eleven offshore blocks for exploration.

“Through the 5th Philippine Energy Contracting Round, we created an equal playing field for all interested parties, in which the government ensures that all service contracts and offered areas are in accordance with existing Philippine laws and policies,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said in his opening message at the official launching ceremony held at the Intercontinental Hotel Manila, Makati City.

Submission of applications from the interested companies will start on 02 June 2014 and will end on 27 February 2015 (11:00 AM, PST).

The archipelagic country, located between Taiwan in the north and Borneo in the south, is offering offers eleven areas for petroleum exploration mostly located in Luzon.

The Department of Energy will be conducting international roadshows to encourage more energy players abroad to join the contracting round: South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX) event on 10-14 June 2014 in Singapore; North America Prospect Expo South (NAPE South) on 20-22 August 2014 in Houston, Texas; and AAPG International Conference and Exhibition on 14-17 September 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The DOE will also conduct a series of information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns in the host communities and areas near the exploration areas starting this month. The IEC for petroleum will be in Palawan, Mindoro, Iloilo, and Sulu, while the IEC for coal will be in Isabela, Albay, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga.