Ni NOEL ABUEL
Nagbabala ang isang kongresista sa posibilidad na maharap sa krisis sa kuryente ang bansa dahil sa mistulang hinaharang o hostage ng China ang pag-develop sa world-class offshore Sampaguita gas discovery.
“The Malampaya deep-water gas field is projected to run dry by 2027, and without fresh reserves from Sampaguita, Luzon’s power supply could be threatened,” sabi ni Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairperson ng House strategic intelligence committee.
“The rest of the country is also worried about the prospect of a Luzon power shortage. We are anxious that if Luzon sneezes, Mindanao and the Visayas might catch a cold,” sabi pa ng kongresista.
Nabatid na nasa 65 kilometers northwest ng Palawan, ang Malampaya ang nagsu-supply ng gas sa 20 porsiyento sa pangangailangan ng Luzon ng kuryente sa loob ng 21 years.
Sinasabing ang Sampaguita ang tinaguriang Malampaya ng bansa kung saan ang undeveloped hydrocarbon field sa ilalim ng seabed na matatagpuan sa 250 kilometers southwest ng Malampaya.
“Sampaguita is estimated to contain anywhere from 3.5 to 4.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas. This is comparable to if not bigger than Malampaya’s 3.4 tcf of gas upon discovery,” giit pa ni Pimentel.
Aniya, ang worst-case scenario, ang bansa ay maaaring kumuha ng liquefied natural gas (LNG) mula sa ibang bansa kapalit ng Malampaya’s dwindling reserves.
“However, the cost of building the new LNG infrastructure and importing the gas implies that consumers in Luzon may have to pay a higher generation price for the electricity,” babala pa ni Pimentel.
At sa ginagawang intimidasyon ng China, ay nagdesisyon ang Department of Energy (DOE) noong nakaraang buwan na utusan ang private operators of petroleum Service Contracts 72 and 75 na pansamantalang itigil ang anumang exploration activities sa West Philippine Sea.
“The Security, Justice, and Peace Coordinating Cluster (SJPCC), taking into consideration the political, diplomatic, and national security implications of any activity in the West Philippine Sea, has agreed that prior approval of the said cluster is required as condition precedent to any activities (in the West Philippine Sea,” sa inilabas na notice ni DOE Undersecretary Donato Marcos sa private operators.
“There’s no other way to put it. Our energy security is being held hostage by China, even though the two petroleum service contracts cover areas well within our exclusive economic zone,” ayon pa kay Pimentel.
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