Falklands : Department of Mineral Resources Activity Report
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 20.12.2007 (Article Archived on 03.01.2008)
Phyl Rendell updates us on the latest Department activity.
DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES ACTIVITY REPORT
By Phyl Rendell
Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd / BHP Billiton
A press release on 28 November confirmed that BHP Billiton will take a 51% share in Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd’s licences. The Department has been processing the required paperwork to facilitate the farm-in by BHP in preparation for them to take over operatorship of the licences in January 2008.
BHP Billiton representatives together with Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd Chief Executive Tim Bushell, will visit the Islands during the week of 21 January to establish contact with the Falkland Islands Government and businesses that will assist with exploration drilling. It is anticipated that the team will be available to host a public meeting.
Desire Petroleum
A site survey programme for Desire Petroleum that was terminated by Wavefield Inseis in the winter due technical failure has now been completed. These site surveys are necessary if a company wishes to drill prospects and the data assists with health and safety assessment of the drilling conditions. Desire Petroleum now has environmental and health and safety data for their northern licences (Tranches C & D) as well as site survey data over their southern licences, in the North Falkland Basin (Tranches I & L). An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is being compiled for the southern prospects in readiness for seeking approval to drill.
Rockhopper Exploration
Rockhopper Exploration has been able to utilise the Wavefield vessel, Bergen Surveyor, to carry out a site survey over a prospect named Ernest. Rockhopper Exploration is working in conjunction with Desire Petroleum to produce an EIA for their licensed acreage adjacent to Desire Petroleum’s blocks. Meanwhile, the company is on track with interpretation of the 3D seismic data acquired in their northern licence, PL033 where Shell drilled two wells in 1998.
Borders & Southern Petroleum
A 3D seismic survey being acquired by PGS is progressing quite well. The Ocean Explorer has made two port calls for crew changes to date and the support vessel, Amber G, has been playing a very useful role in ferrying equipment and personnel to the Ocean Explorer at the survey site in the South Falkland Basin.
Of general interest the Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) onboard has reported a considerable number of whale sightings including a Blue Whale on one occasion.
Falkland Gold & Minerals Limited
The Chairman of Falkland Gold & Minerals Ltd, Richard Linnell, and Derek Reeves the Project Manager were in the Islands for meetings with the Falkland Islands Government at the end of October. It is expected that the company will end activities by Christmas and start decommissioning equipment for shipment elsewhere. Although commercial quantities of gold have not been found during the onshore drilling programme, a huge amount of core is retained at Goose Green and it has an interesting story to tell about the geology of the Islands. Dr. Phil Stone from the British Geological Survey will visit the Department in late January to discuss plans for the future of the rock core with Derek Reeves. It is hoped that some research work can be carried out on this valuable resource to add to the geological understanding of the Islands.
Department Matters
The popular “Reading the Rocks” geological brochure is in a second print edition thanks to Phil Stone and will be available for retail as stocks of the first edition are exhausted.
Pippie Christie joined the Mineral Resources Department in mid November as Oil Administrative Officer and is already making a valuable contribution to the department in addition to Katrina Stephenson who ably handles front of house matters.
Director of Minerals & Agriculture
17 December 2007
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