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Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (Prime Infra) has appointed Sebastian C. Quiniones, Jr. as the General Manager of Prime Exploration Pte. Ltd. (Prime Exploration) effective August 17, 2022.

Quiniones is the former general manager and managing director of Shell Philippines Exploration B. V. (SPEX) and one of the first Filipino talents in SPEX to have been put at the helm of a word-class vital installation. Quiniones’ appointment bolsters the commitment of Prime Infra to strengthening its talent capabilities in the upstream industry as it awaits regulatory consent to acquire the shares of the Malampaya operator.

In July 2022, Prime Exploration signed a share purchase agreement acquiring MEXP Holding Pte. Ltd. (MEXP). MEXP previously inked an agreement with Shell Petroleum N. V. (Shell) for the 45-percent stake of SPEX in the Malampaya project.

The acquisition is still subject to the consent of the PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC EC) and the Department of Energy. Once such consent is given and Prime Infra assumes full ownership and control of SPEX, Quiniones will work towards fulfilling the vision of Prime Infra in accelerating investments for the expansion of the Malampaya deep-water gas-to-power project.

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Quiniones to the Prime Infra team. It is a reflection of our commitment to ensure that, upon receiving the necessary regulatory approvals and taking over SPEX, we will deliver outstanding operational performance and further the potential of the Service Contract. With his deep industry expertise and unparalleled experience, I am confident that Mr. Quiniones will help ensure that a critical power asset is steered to further development and progress,” said Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci.

Quiniones held various key positions in Shell for the past 41 years. From 2009 to 2016, he served as SPEX Managing Director and Asset Manager overseeing the upgrade of the Malampaya asset, which involved USD$1 billion for two new production wells, a depletion compression platform, and upgrades at the Shallow Water Platform and On-Shore Gas Plant.

From 2013 to 2016, he was concurrently a member of the Board of Directors of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation.

Mr Quiniones will remain active in several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Pilipinas Shell Foundation (PSFI) where he is Executive Director. He is also Chairman of the Board of the League of Corporate Foundations, Chairman of the Board of Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Chairman of the Board of ShellClub15Plus, and a founding member of STEM Alliance Philippines.

He is a member of the Management Association of the Philippines where he was chairman and now Vice Chairman of the Energy Committee. He is also a corporate member of a microfinance NGO, Kabalikat Para sa Maunlad na Buhay, and Vice Chair of the Governance and Membership Committee. He was elected to the Board of Energy Development Corporation in 2021 and serves as an Independent Director, and Chairman of the Board Health, Safety and Environment Committee.

He served in the Boards of First Philippine Industrial Corporation and Batangas Bay Carriers, Inc. He was the oil and gas representative for the Multi-Sectoral Group of Philippines Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, President of the Petroleum Association of the Philippines, a trustee of the Malampaya Foundation, and a director of the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.