Malampaya starts month-long maintenance shutdown

The Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project on Monday started a scheduled maintenance shutdown, temporarily halting natural gas supply to several power plants to rely on alternative fuels before the expected resumption of operations mid-July.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the scheduled maintenance shutdown is projected to end on July 15, 2026, including integrity inspections, the servicing of mechanical and control systems, and safety-critical maintenance works to help ensure its long-term reliability.

“This regular activity has been closely coordinated with the DOE and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Shallow Water Platform and Onshore Gas Plant continue to operate in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner, thereby preventing incidents that could affect the continuous supply of natural gas to customer power plants,” it said.

The will cover key facilities at the Shallow Water Platform in offshore northwest Palawan and the Onshore Gas Plant in Tabangao, Batangas City, along with the tie-in of the Malampaya East 1R1 and the Camago-S3S wells.

“The integration of newly discovered wells into the existing infrastructure will bolster the nation’s indigenous natural gas supply and extend the project’s operational life,” the DOE said.

Prime Energy, the gas unit of business tycoon Enrique Razon’s Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc., is on track to start producing natural gas from the Malampaya Phase 4 by late 2026, following the successful drilling, completion, and flow test in the Camago-3 well in offshore Palawan.

The DOE in March called for the full dispatch of indigenous sources and coal-fired power plants, in a bid to offset the increase in the power rates in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). — BM, GMA News