Topical Stamp | Petroleum Industry
Note:
The petroleum industry is the sector involved in the exploration, extraction, refining, transportation, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It is often referred to as the oil and gas industry, as petroleum includes both crude oil and natural gas. The industry provides fuels and raw materials used in transportation, electricity generation, manufacturing, and the production of many everyday products.
Exploration and Extraction
The Nido Reef Complex Oil Field, located offshore in northwest Palawan, is one of the most important oil fields in Philippine petroleum history. The Nido area consists of two separate reef buildups about four kilometers apart. Oil was first discovered at the Nido No. 1 well in 1976, and a commercial discovery was made at South Nido No. 1 the following year.
The Nido Complex began commercial oil production in January 1979, becoming the first commercial oil-producing field in the Philippines. Production initially reached about 40,000 barrels per day, although output soon declined because of increasing water production. The discovery also encouraged further petroleum exploration in northwest Palawan and led to the development of other fields in the region.
After about four decades of production, the Nido Oil Field reached the end of its economic life. Production was permanently terminated in March 2019, with total production of approximately 18.92 million barrels of crude oil.
The 30-sentimo (Scott #1390) and 45-sentimo (Scott #1391) stamps showing the map of Palawan with the location of the Nido oil wells and an offshore oil platform with natural gas being flared, were issued on March 21, 1979, to commemorate the First Philippine Oil Production from the Nido Oil Reef Complex in Palawan.
The Malampaya Gas Field, located about 50 kilometers offshore northwest Palawan, is the Philippines’ most important natural gas field and played a major role in the development of the country’s natural gas industry. The field was discovered in the early 1990s, and its development became the foundation of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project.
The project was inaugurated in 2001, and commercial production began in 2002, initially producing about 400 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The natural gas is transported through a 504-kilometer pipeline to a processing facility in Batangas, where it supplies gas-fired power plants.
Malampaya has been a major source of domestic energy, supplying gas-fired power plants and reducing the Philippines' dependence on imported fuels. It has therefore played an important role in the country's energy security and economic development. The field remains a landmark in Philippine petroleum history as the project that established the commercial natural gas industry in the Philippines.
The 5-piso (Scott #2751) and 15-piso (Scott #2752) stamps showing the offshore natural gas project and its facilities, were issued on October 16, 2001 to commemorate the inauguration of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project.
Refining
The Bataan Refinery, located in Limay, Bataan, is the Philippines’ only remaining operating oil refinery and is owned and operated by Petron Corporation. Its history began in 1957, when the Standard Vacuum Oil Company (Stanvac) started construction of a refinery in Limay to meet the country’s growing demand for petroleum products. The refinery began commercial operations in 1961, with an initial capacity of 25,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Over the years, the refinery underwent major expansions and modernization. The Refinery Master Plan Phase 2 (RMP-2) significantly upgraded its processing capabilities, enabling it to convert crude oil into higher-value products such as gasoline, diesel, LPG, jet fuel, and other petroleum and petrochemical products. The modern refinery has a crude-processing capacity of 180,000 barrels per day.
The 60-sentimo (Scott #1786) and 3-piso (Scott #1787) stamps, depicting views of the Bataan Refinery complex in Limay, Bataan, were issued on April 12, 1986, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Bataan Refinery.
The Shell Tabangao Refinery, located in Tabangao, Batangas, was one of the Philippines’ major oil refineries and an important part of the country’s petroleum industry. Construction began in 1960, and the refinery commenced commercial operations in 1962 with an initial capacity of 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The refinery was expanded and modernized during the 1990s to meet the growing demand for petroleum products. The project increased its capacity to 110,000 barrels per day by 1995 and enabled the production of cleaner fuels, including unleaded gasoline and low-sulfur diesel.
After nearly six decades of operation, Shell permanently ceased refining activities at Tabangao in 2020, citing weak regional refining margins and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility was subsequently transformed into the Shell Import Facility in Tabangao (SHIFT), which was inaugurated in June 2021.
Two 25-piso stamps depicting views of the Shell Tabangao Refinery were issued on December 13, 2014, to commemorate the centenary of Shell's operations in the Philippines. One stamp depicts the refinery in the 1960s (Scott #3652a), while the other shows the refinery in 2014 (Scott #3652b).
Marketing
Shell has been part of the Philippine petroleum market for more than a century, beginning in 1914 when Asiatic Petroleum Company (Philippine Islands) Ltd. started importing and selling gasoline and kerosene in the country. Over the decades, Shell expanded its operations into refining, fuel distribution, lubricants, aviation fuel, bitumen, and retail services.
The long presence of Shell, now known as Shell Pilipinas Corporation, in the country reflects the important role it has played in the development of the Philippine petroleum and energy industry, from the early days of imported kerosene and gasoline to today's increasingly diversified energy market.
Two 25-piso stamps depicting Shell retail stations were issued on December 13, 2014, to commemorate the centenary of Shell's operations in the Philippines. One stamp shows a Shell retail station in the 1930s (Scott #3652c), while the other depicts a retail station in 2014 (Scott #3652d).
- Stamps are shown at actual size.
- Only Philippine stamps depicting the petroleum industry are included on this list.
- Scott Catalogue numbers are provided when available. When no country is specified, the Scott Catalogue number refers to a Philippine stamp.
- Created: 7 September 2026
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