Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East triggering a global oil crisis, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and Palawan State University (PalSU), will inaugurate the country’s first petroleum engineering R&D laboratory on March 25 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

According to the DOST, the new facility seeks to fortify the country’s research capacity in support of oil and gas exploration. 

The agency said the Drilling Fluids Research and Innovation (DFRI) Laboratory is a significant step toward developing locally available and sustainable drilling fluids, which are crucial to modern oil and gas exploration and operations.

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the implications of the heightening geopolitical tension in the Middle East are already becoming apparent.  

“Given the ongoing instability in global oil supply chains and persistent fuel price hikes, the ability to develop local substitutes for critical drilling materials becomes strategically important to secure our future in sustaining our own petroleum products like drilling fluids,” he said in a statement.

Led by Engr. Morlie Talimbay, PalSU researchers have produced nanoiron oxide and nanosilica-enhanced drilling fluids. 

“These drilling fluids are part of ongoing research exploring locally sourced alternatives that are low-cost and environmentally sustainable compared to conventional ones,” the DOST noted.

The two additives, the agency said, are key factors for efficient and safe drilling operations.

Despite having abundant fossil fuel reserves, Talimbay said the country only has a few oil and gas R&D outputs. 

“With the establishment of this new laboratory, we aim to contribute to the local energy economic needs,” he said. 

“For now, we are looking at conducting further studies, including field validation, which are needed to assess their cost-effectiveness and overall performance.”

The DOST said outputs from the DFRI Lab will be recommended to the Department of Energy (DOE) as the agency targets increasing the exploration and production yield of oil and natural gas. 

DOST-PCIEERD Deputy Executive Director and Officer-in-Charge Engr. Niñaliza H. Escorial expressed optimism that the DFRI Laboratory will become a national center for petroleum R&D and related research in the years ahead.

“Through the DFRI Lab, we believe that high-quality research will play a critical role in enabling the Philippines to develop its own natural gas resources and reduce the country’s reliance on imported energy,” she added.

The DOST said the DFRI Laboratory, funded with P4.9 million under the DOST-PCIEERD’s Institution Development Program (IDP), features highly specialized equipment.

Palawan hosts 11 commercial oil and gas fields, including the Malampaya gas field where a new natural gas reservoir was recently discovered, the agency noted.