The Department of Energy (DOE) is ready to resume drilling for oil and natural gas on Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea, but when work will restart is up to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which suspended the exploration in 2014 as the Philippines pursued international arbitration to resolve a territorial dispute with China. According to the DOE, the estimated resource potential of the Reed Bank Basin is as much as 60 trillion cu m of natural gas.

Domingo, R. W. (2017, July 14). Energy department awaits go-ahead on oil drilling in West Philippine Sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A10.