Amid the fuel crisis being experienced by the country due to the Middle East tensions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced that the Camago 3 of the Malampaya Phase 4 in Palawan was successfully drilled and tested, producing up to 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

Camago-3 is a critical deepwater exploration and development well in the Philippines, drilled as part of the Malampaya Phase 4 project to extend the life of the country’s primary indigenous natural gas source.

“Today, I am proud to announce another step forward in our mission to secure affordable, reliable energy for every Filipino. The Camago-3 well has been successfully drilled and tested, producing up to 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. It is the second major milestone under our $893-million Malampaya Phase 4 campaign, and it is significantly larger than our first,” Marcos Jr. announced.

According to the President, Camago-3 holds an estimated 2.5 times more recoverable gas than the Malampaya East-1 discovery.

The two wells are projected to extend the life of the Malampaya gas field by an estimated six years, he said.

“What is the meaning of this for Filipinos? It means more power. Steadier power. And cheaper power. Malampaya gas costs us roughly P4.80 per kilowatt-hour. Imported LNG costs P10.30. More than double. Every unit of power we generate from Malampaya instead of imported fuel is money saved by households, by small businesses, by every Filipino who pays an electricity bill,” the President maintained.

He said the discovery is very important, especially now that the world is experiencing fuel crisis.

“Alam nating lahat kung gaano kahalaga ito ngayon. Ang kaguluhan sa Middle East ay nagdudulot ng matinding pabago-bago sa presyo ng gasolina sa buong mundo. Kaya naman, ginawa natin ang lahat para masiguro na may sarili tayong supply ng enerhiya upang maibsan ang epekto ng kaguluhang ito sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng mga Pilipino,” the President stressed.

Moreover, he said that for the first time since the year 2000, new subsea pipelines are being laid in Philippine waters.

“Ibig sabihin, may bagong tubo na itatanim sa ilalim ng dagat para maihatid ang gas mula sa pinagkukunan nito patungo sa ating mga tahanan at negosyo. We are not just extending a gas field. We are rebuilding our energy infrastructure from the ground up,” the President noted.

Marcos Jr. said the government is targeting first gas delivery by the fourth quarter of 2026.

“And we are not stopping there. Our next well, Bagong Pag-asa, sits 30 kilometers north of Malampaya and is already in the works. This is indigenous energy. It is ours. This is our future. And it is how we protect every Filipino from the burden of rising global fuel prices,” he said.

Last January, Marcos Jr. announced a significant breakthrough in the country’s energy resources at the Malampaya East-1, estimated to contain about 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place – enough to power 5.7 million homes, 9,500 buildings, or roughly 200,000 school buildings for a year.

Initial tests showed a well flow of 60 million cubic feet per day, demonstrating substantial gas production, an output that could be comparable to the existing Malampaya wells.

Aside from natural gas, condensate – a high-value liquid fuel – was also discovered, which Marcos said could help support government efforts to stabilize the country’s power supply.