Philodrill has applied for a new, expanded service contract to redevelop the West Linapacan offshore oil asset in the Philippines, aiming to utilize modern technology to access remaining reserves.

West Linapacan A: History and Redevelopment Plans

Discovered in the early 1990s, the West Linapacan A field began production in 1992 from three wells in the fractured Linapacan limestone, peaking at 18,700 barrels per day. Production was hampered by increasing water output, leading to four sidetrack wells with limited success. The field was shut in by January 1996 due to uneconomic flow rates and low oil prices, having produced a cumulative total of approximately 8.5 million stock tank barrels. Philodrill's redevelopment plan focuses on revitalizing this mature field.

West Linapacan B: An Undeveloped Discovery

The company also plans to develop the adjacent, untapped West Linapacan B oil and gas discovery. Found in 1993, the West Linapacan B1-X well successfully flowed oil and gas during testing, confirming reservoir productivity. Technical data suggests potential hydrocarbon accumulations may extend beyond currently defined boundaries. Philodrill believes that modern technology and changed market conditions could allow a successful appraisal to reveal additional resources, which would also benefit the redevelopment of the nearby West Linapacan A field. The discovery well is in 350 meters of water and was temporarily plugged 33 years ago.

Contract and Geological Details

The application to the Philippines Department of Energy seeks a new development and production service contract covering about 82,000 hectares. This would replace the expired 17,724-hectare SC 14C2 and incorporates adjacent open acreage to the east. The asset is located in the northwest Palawan basin, about 60 kilometers offshore. The area contains a proven petroleum system with significant remaining recoverable oil, as indicated by reprocessed seismic data. The two known oil-bearing structures, West Linapacan A and B, are structural traps formed by fault-related folding, with the main reservoir being the fractured Linapacan limestone.