New CNG facilities to start running in ’13

PNOC Exploration Corp., the upstream oil and coal arm of state-run Philippine National Oil Co., expects to start operating within the year its two new compressed natural gas (CNG) facilities, which are deemed critical in helping boost the government’s natural gas program.

In a statement, PNOC-EC said it was stepping up the implementation of its CNG projects following the posting of the bidding announcements for P113 million worth of contracts for modular CNG refilling stations in Laguna and Batangas to serve CNG-fed buses.

PNOC-EC was supposed to take over the existing CNG station in Mamplasan, Laguna, owned and operated by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. But due to property lease issues, PNOC-EC opted to establish a new CNG daughter station in Biñan City, Laguna.

According to PNOC-EC, the target to get the two CNG refilling facilities up and running within the year is in line with its commitment to the CNG program of the Department of Energy. These stations will be the first batch of projects under the DOE’s planned P400-million capital investment for the construction of CNG facilities all over Luzon.

It was, however, not made clear how much will PNOC-EC price the CNG, which was previously sold for P14.25 a liter.