Looking to China: President Rodrigo Duterte announced the executive order in May
Manila opens the door to Chinese E&P
An executive order has reduced the constraints on Philippines’ state oil company working with third parties on oil and gas deals
An executive order from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte that relaxed the rules on oil and gas exploration should make it easier for the government to cement its recent outreach to China, as it opens exploration blocks in a bid to reverse a precipitous decline in production. Executive Order 80, issued in late May, reverses a previous ruling from 2006 that prevented the Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) from directly farming out its acreage. From now on, third parties can participate in service contracts awarded by the government to PNOC-EC, the upstream arm of state-owned Philippine National Oil Company, without the need for public bidding.PNOC-EC has bee
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
