MikeLigalig.com

By Jes Tirol

Proem

My analogy to the proposed oil exploration at the Bohol Strait is the Boholano joke about a man traveling on a road at night. He lost his money in the dark portion of the road. Farther away was a lamp post where the street light was shining. There he began to search for his lost money. A passerby asked him what he was doing and where he lost his money. He replied, I lost my money there at the dark but it is dangerous to search there that is why I am searching here at the lighted portion of the road.

Why would the Department of Energy (DOE) search for oil and natural gas at the Bohol Strait and not at the known oil deposit location at Clarin, Bohol? The only reason I can think of is that, they hired a ship and not a land-based exploration equipment. Why the DOE hired a ship and search at the wrong place is a question only the DOE can answer.

Natural Gas

At depths of about 2 to 3 kilometers, the temperature is already very hot. The temperature can already convert the liquid oil into natural gas. These gases can be stored in place if the covering rock formation is of the suitable type. The explorer ship would try to determine the rock formation and type by using seismic waves.

Procedure

We are told that the exploration will use a blast of compressed air that would produce a sound of about 200 decibels. Humans can only tolerate 120 decibels. Many kinds of fishes could not tolerate this sound level.

Most explorations use explosives to generate a vibration. Explosives as large as a hand grenade will be buried into the ground and exploded. The resulting seismic waves are recorded. However, the Bohol Strait has waters of about 300 meters deep. The conduct of explosive type of exploration is difficult to perform. The use of compressed air blast is easier to perform even if most of the sound will travel throughout the surrounding waters endangering the marine population.

Natural Gas Is Doubtful

It is well known knowledge in oil and natural gas exploration that natural gas will not be stored if the fault lines are active. The gases will just escape when the fault lines move.

The Zulu-Cebu fault line is active. It has caused earthquakes in the last 10 years. The Bohol fault line is very active. On February 8, 1990 it caused a magnitude 6.9 earthquake with epicenter off the Anda Peninsula. Its movement caused the recent landslide at Mayana, Jagna, Bohol. In 2001 it caused an earthquake that damaged the Catholic Church of Clarin, Bohol. In 2006 it also produced an earthquake with epicenter near the confluence of the Zulu-Cebu and Bohol fault lines between Argao, Cebu and Loon, Bohol.

So if there were natural gases produced by the underground oil deposits in Bohol, it has already escaped during the fault line movements.

Value of the Exploration

As a man of science, I am not against the exploration per se. The data to be gathered can enhance the knowledge of science like locating the actual fault lines. It is good if the exploration is not paid by the Philippines Government. If the exploration is paid by the Philippines Government, the $4 million is too expensive for a doubtful objective.

Nonetheless, I am in favor that the concerns of the affected fisher folks should be taken into account. There are many methods of natural gas explorations. The proponents should use the procedure that is less troublesome.(The Bohol Chronicle, June 24, 2007)



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