Geocon 1999 Article

THE NW SULU SEA BASIN, PHILIPPINES: AN ATTRACTIVE FRONTIER AREA FOR PETROLEUM EXPLORATION

Ricardo G. Poblete, Jr. and Arturo A. Morado, Jr.
COMEXCO, Incorporated

The NW Sulu Sea Basin is probably the most attractive frontier area for exploration in the Philippines. It is located within the continental North Palawan Block (NPB), a rifted fragment of the Asian mainland. The Northwest Palawan Area (NWPA), the only petroleum-producing province in the Philippines, is also located within the NPB and to the northwest of the NW Sulu Sea Basin. Previous work and our own recent study suggest that the NW Sulu Sea Basin could contain a petroleum system that is analogous to that of the NWPA.

Numerous large to giant-sized leads, representing the four (4) major play types that are identified in the basin, are presented. The major play types are:

a. Anticlines with four-way dips;

b. Early Miocene carbonates;

c. Middle Miocene carbonates; and,

d. Miocene turbidites.

Geological conditions in the relatively unexplored NW Sulu Sea Basin present possibilities for oil and/or gas accumulations. The similar distance to the market in Luzon of the NW Sulu Sea Basin and the giant Camago-Malampaya Gas Field, currently under development by Shell (gas-to-power) in the deep waters of NWPA, implies that even a gas accumulation from the giant leads in the NW Sulu Sea Basin can be a viable economic venture. The variety of the types of leads in both shallow and deep waters in the area present the explorers with medium risk-high reward to high risk-high reward exploration opportunities.

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