The Philippines may soon be the owner of an undersea land larger than Luzon that is potentially rich in gas and oil. It is being claimed solely by the Philippines because it is the only country within 200 nautical miles of the plateau.
Benham Rise, also known as Benham Plateau, is a 13-million hectare undersea region east of Luzon, off the provinces of Isabela and Aurora. It is bounded by the West Philippine Basin to the north and east. The plateau is a massive formation of basalt, a common volcanic rock, and is described in a study as a thickened portion of the Philippine sea plate’s oceanic crust. It raised the possibility of the nation's energy self-sufficiency in the near future.
During the Senate finance committee's hearing on the proposed 2012 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Secretary Ramon Paje said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) may approve the Philippines' claim over Benham Rise by mid-2012.
Paje said it is rich in solid methane and probably even oil, based on initial studies of the DENR. "We've been saying this in the past. This country can provide for its own energy," he told reporters after the hearing. "We believe that with the deposits we can find in Benham Rise, we can substantially provide power in the country." Paje added that Benham Rise has enough deposits to enable the country to export gas.
The black-lines show the 1898 Treaty of Paris territorial limits; the blue lines are the baselines under RA 3046, as amended by RA 5466; and the green lines are the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Source: National Mapping and Resource Information Authority
Once the UNCLOS approves the Philippines' claim, he said the Philippine government may issue contracts for exploring the area, like what is being done at the Malampaya deepwater gas field off Palawan.
"That will now provide the legal basis for the entry or execution of exploration agreements with private companies," said finance committee chairman Sen. Franklin Drilon.
The Philippines submitted its application for ownership of Benham Rise to the UNCLOS in late 2008.
Source: ABS-CBN, GMA and Inquirer
