DFA reiterates Phl sea rights

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday reiterated the Philippines has exclusive right to explore and exploit “all types of resources” in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), particularly in areas within the country’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

“The Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights to explore and exploit all types of resources in its continental shelf within 200 nautical miles measured from the baselines in the western side of the Philippine archipelago,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

The DFA made the reaction to the report that China’s state-controlled China National Offshore Oil Co. Ltd. (CNOOC) has started the operation of an oil field in disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea.

“No country can conduct oil exploration in the Philippine continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea without the permission of the Philippine government, as provided for under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Hernandez added.

A report of the state-owned China Daily over the weekend said the CNOOC announced on Friday the operation of the oil fields in the contested waters.

In a statement, the CNOOC said both oil fields are located in the Pearl River Estuary Basin.

The report said the Panyu 4-2/5-1 field, one of the two oil fields, is expected to reach its peak output level in 2014.

The CNOOC owns 75.5 percent of the field, while Burlington Resources China Llc. owns the rest.

The other field was identified as Liuhua 4-1. The company owns it completely and expects its production to peak next year.

In June, the CNOOC announced it would open nine new blocks in the South China Sea to bids for exploration and development.

The DFA spokesman, however, failed to answer yesterday if the area where the new CNOOC oil field is located was within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.