Named after the American geologist Andrew Benham who discovered the continental shelf, the area was mapped in 1933 but its connection to the Philippine shelf was validated only recently to justify the county’s
economic claim. Despite its proximity to the archipelago, the plateau
was previously not included in the territory of the Philippine Islands.
On 8 April 2009, the Republic of the Philippines lodged a full territorial waters claim with the United Nations Commission on the
Limits of the Continental Shelf in relation to the continental shelf in
the region of Benham Rise. It was submitted as part of petition
expanding the archipelago's baselines and exclusive economic zone
through a law that also included other claims involving disputed
territories of the Kalayaan Islands (Spratly Islands) and Scarborough
Shoal. Although the off shore landform, in itself, is not disputed, the petition
still received some criticism inside and outside the country because of
its controversial nature. According to the government's claim, based on a
set of guidelines by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf, the area satisfies the 350-mile constraint line since the outer
limits of the continental shelf are located landward of the constraint
line, which is located 350 miles from the baselines where the
measurement of the breadth of the territorial sea begins. Benham Rise was never a subject to any maritime boundary disputes and claims.
The Congress of the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 9522, also
known as the Archipelagic Baselines Law, which is the basis of the
claim. According to the document, the region is bounded by the Philippine
Basin on the north and east, and by Luzon on the west and south. It
asserted that, according to scientific data based on seismic, magnetic,
other geological features, the Benham Rise region is an extension of the
Philippines’ continental shelf.
In summary, the baselines, the basis
used for delineating the maritime territorial and jurisdictional zones, conform with the requirements of the
UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indirectly, the claim is only a
partial claim since the law that allows the Philippines to expand its
territorial boundaries also includes other disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines may soon be able to provide its own energy needs if it can extract abundant mineral, oil and natural gas of Benham Rise, which is believed to have mineral and gas deposits. The
Philippines claim over Benham Rise is "very relevant" because scientific
surveys indicate minerals and natural gas in the area. Solidified
methane was found during mapping activities and the "probability is extremely very
high" there are massive oil deposits. Benham Rise, which is
wider than the entire Luzon, Samar, and Leyte combined, is now officially part of the Philippines because it is the only country within 200 nautical
miles of the plateau.
The United Nation has officially approved and recognized the claim of the Philippines in April of 2012, in strict compliance with the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has officially received a letter from UNCLOS informing the Philippines that Benham Rise is now part of the Philippine continental shelf and territory. The Philippines would soon benefit from the massive mineral and gas deposits in the region which would enable the country to achieve complete energy sufficiency.
The Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf (CLCS) of the United Nations adopted in full the Republic of the
Philippines’ Submission for an extended continental shelf on April 12, 2012 which includes part of the seabed that extends
beyond 200 nautical miles from the country’s baselines covering a seabed area of 52,340 square miles.
The geological and morphological analyses establish that Benham
Rise is a natural prolongation of the landmass of Luzon that is
distinct from the adjacent ocean floor. The connection between
Benham Rise and Luzon is evident from its morphology particularly
through the Palanan Saddles and Bicol which shows that Benham Rise is accreted to Luzon. The extent of this large igneous province reaches well beyond 200
nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the
territorial sea is measured. With the geological and morphological
evidence, the Test of Appurtenance is proven and the Philippines is therefore entitled to delineate the
outer limit of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
VIDEO
Deep Water Drilling
VIDEO
Introduction to Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
VIDEO
Natural Gas from Shale
VIDEO
How CHEVRON Uses Seismic Technology
The Government of the Philippines explores Benham Rise for oil, natural gas and petroleum
The Department of Energy or DOE will conduct seismic surveys to
determine the actual oil and gas content of Benham Rise. The DOE is
looking to bid out portions of Benham Rise with a high possibility of
including the plateau in the next contracting round for oil, gas and
petroleum exploration projects. PECR (Philippine Energy Contracting
Round), will need to gather the necessary data to encourage more investors. The
Benham Plateau is believed to be rich in natural gas and manganese
nodules, and is being eyed by a number of interested bidders. DOE Undersecretary
Jose Layug, Jr. said in a briefing that four companies were set to
conduct seismic surveys where the Benham Rise is located. “It will take 2
months for the seismic data to be gathered and another 2 months for the full analysis to be completed,” Layug said.
The
energy official said they were hoping to include the Benham Rise in
PECR 5. The department has successfully concluded the final bidding round for
oil, gas and petroleum exploration project under PECR 4 in July of 2012 but the service contract has not been officially awarded to the winning bidders. To date, there are twenty seven
service contracts in the Philippines involving Nido, BHP Billiton and
Shell Philippines Exploration. However, only Galoc oil fields and
Malampaya are consistent in gas, oil and petroleum production. The
Department of Energy is pursuing energy sustainability and independence
through the development of natural energy resources like coal, oil, gas and
petroleum.
The Institutions That Contributed To The Benham Rise Successful Submission (Read More...)
VIDEO
Benham Rise Footage
is under development
come back soon for the interactive website and News Update of Energy Exploration in the area...
GOOGLE YAHOO BENHAM RISE BAIDU BING
© 2011 BenhamRise.com | All Rights Reserved