THE military fully supports proposed oil exploration activities in Mindanao for as long as these follow Philippine laws and regulations of the country, and will uplift economic conditions in the south.
The position was made by the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Westcom) following the proposal of the Energy World Group to explore oil in Sulu. The proposal is also being supported by the leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“The military is ready to support any joint venture, coproduction, and sharing agreements that comply with the legal requirements and that redound to the benefits of the Bangsamoro people,” said Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Westcom.
“We are for peace and development in the Bangsamoro region, and we remain committed to support any development initiatives in the operational area,” he added.
Over the weekend, Energy World Group officials met with military, local and BARMM officials in Cotabato City, to discuss the company’s offer to explore natural oil in Sulu, according to Westcom Spokesman Major Arvin Encinas.
Encinas did not provide details of the meeting, which was attended by BARMM Interim Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim and other security officials. But he said the project is seen to create “more employment opportunities for residents and former terrorists in Mindanao.”
“The Energy World Group said the exploration will be made in Sulu to ameliorate the province’s economic conditions,” he added.
A previous study made by lawyer Ishak Mastura of the IAG Development Consulting Inc. said the areas covered by the BARMM hold some of the biggest untapped petroleum resources in the country, with two of the most highly prospective petroleum sedimentary basins—the Sulu Sea and major portions of Cotabato.
“According to the Philippine Department of Energy, the offshore Sulu Sea Basin has a potential 203 MMBOE, while the land-based Cotabato Basin has a potential 159 MMBOE with 29 BCF of gas already discovered,” Mastura said.
MMBOE stands for million barrels of oil equivalent.
“The hydrocarbon prospectivity of the ARMM [now BARMM] is borne out by the fact that in previous years three Service Contracts [SC] still at the exploration stage have been awarded by the Philippine government in the offshore Sulu Sea Basin in the waters surrounding the Sulu Archipelago,” the study said.
SC 41 with an area of 4,820 square kilometers is operated by Australian company Tap Oil; SC 64, with an area of 12,600 sq km kilometers, is operated by Malaysian company Ranhill Berhad.
“Perhaps the most intriguing is SC 56 operated by Malaysian-based Mitra Energy Ltd., wherein ExxonMobil signed a 50-percent farm-in agreement in the past,” the Mastura study said.