The issue of the petroleum explorationists’ future in the country is viewed with growing concern, as it is acceptably dependent on the degree and extent of petroleum exploration activities in the country.

At present, there are seven Service Contract (SC) blocks and thirteen Geophysical Survey and Exploration Contract (GSEC) blocks that cover the various prospective sedimentary basins spanning the whole archipelago. Another six Non-Exclusive Geophysical Permit (NEGP) blocks have been awarded by the Department of Energy in the recent past. Data from the Philippine Petroleum Association list around twenty active oil and gas exploration companies, five of which are foreign-owned.

The current number of exploration acreage blocks and the number of petroleum exploration companies operating in the country may be viewed by some as significant and impressive. Numbers alone however, do not tell the entire story.

Some insights on the state of the Philippines’ upstream petroleum industry are presented, including an incisive assessment of the impact it has created on the careers of local petroleum explorationists. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in the Philippine oil industry are presented, which may spell the difference on the future of Filipino petroleum geologists.