Two retired gas platforms in Palawan are being considered for conversion into littoral monitoring stations of the Philippine Navy (PN) to increase the military's capability in protecting the country's vast maritime territory.
Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, PN Flag-Officer-in-Command, said Sunday retired gas platforms Nido and Matinloc in Malampaya, northwest of Palawan, will be good locations for the establishment of two observation posts.
The Navy chief said the conversion of the platforms "will further enhance our capability to protect our maritime interests in these strategic locations.”
The platforms' location were deemed strategic and vital due to its proximity to Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea and the Malampaya and Galoc gas fields.
The Malampaya gas field is located 820 meters deep, 80 kilometers off the coast of Palawan, while Galoc gas field is situated 60 kms northwest of Palawan, thus, falling under the area of responsibility of the Naval Forces West.
Last Saturday, Bacordo inspected the Nido and Matinloc platforms aboard an Augusta wing naval helicopter (AW109).
The Department of Energy (DoE) ceased in 2019 the over 40 years of production operations of the two gas fields.
As such, the transfer of ownership of the Nido and Matinloc platforms was offered by the DoE to the National Task Force in the West Philippine Sea "in several meetings," Bacordo confirmed.
He explained that it will be up to the Department of National Defense (DND) if it will acquire the platforms and expeditiously transfer it to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).