Recto Bank (formerly known as Reed Bank) is a large table mount (a flat-topped mountain range under the sea sometimes also called seamounts or guyots) in the South China Sea covering an area of 8,866 square kilometers (sq. km.). Its sea cover has a shallow depth ranging from 9 meters to only 45 meters and only requires 3,000 meters below sea bed of drilling to reach the gas/oil deposit. This makes it very ideal and economical for offshore exploration and drilling, unlike in the Gulf of Mexico where water depth can be 1,800 meters before drilling another 5,000 meters to reach the oil or gas deposit.

Mana-ay, E. (2019, July 1). Recto Bank the only replacement to Malampaya. Daily Guardian, p. 5.