BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi - United States-based Exxon Mobil Exploration and Production Philippines B.V. has started drilling its third exploration well at its Service Contract-56 (SC-56) in the South Sulu Sea.
As this developed, Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali said the West Aquarius, the same drilling rig used to drill the first two wells, has again been tasked to resume exploration operations in SC-56.
To drill or not to drill.(oil well drilling environmental and economic prespective): An article from: Business Perspectives
Sahali said Exxon Mobil Exploration and Production Philippines have safely drilled two exploration wells located southeast of Mapun - northeast of Taganak and southwest of Turtle Island.
The company also employs about 165 highly-technical and trained personnel composed of Filipinos, Indonesian, Malaysian and American, he said.
Drilling the third exploration well is part of the program of the Department of Energy (DoE) to continue to encourage the development of the energy sector in the country to support economic growth, the provincial chief executive here said.
Sahali said drilling operations in SC-56 started in October 2009. The first well - Dabakan-1 - encountered gas.
It was gathered that Exxon Mobil completed drilling its second well on February and is still analyzing the data from Dabakan-1 and Banduria-1.
Exxon Mobil, operator of SC-56, owned 50 percent interest in SC-56 while Mitra Energy (Philippines) Ltd. and BHP Billiton International Exploration Pty. Ltd. hold 25 percent each.
Sahali also described the Exxon Mobil oilrig activities in Mapun as using the most ''sophisticated state-of-the-art facilities and guided by Global Positioning System or GPS.'
