Disputed Island to be explored
By Karen Remo-Listana
Posted: 29 August 2005
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A Chinese oil company has been awarded a joint contract from the state oil companies of China , the Philippines and Vietnam to explore the ever disputed Spratly Islands , China ’s state-media reported.
China Oilfield Services Ltd (COS), a subsidiary of CNOOC would handle a  two-dimensional seismic exploration project in Spratly Islands . No information was given how much the contract would cost.
CNOOC, Philippine National Oil Co, and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp, also known as PetroVietnam, agreed in March to conduct seismic work programmes - setting off explosions to monitor the shock waves for pockets of oil and gas - over three years over an area of about 143,000 square kilometres.
The move, said a CNOOC official, was an important step to jointly implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea , a major political document on peacefully resolving disputes in the resource-rich area.
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are claimed in their entirety by China , Taiwan , and Vietnam , while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines . About 50 islands are occupied by China (about 450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts.
Potential oil and natural gas reserves surrounding the islands have sparked the interest of all the littoral states.
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