MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: EIAs to ExCo as drilling preparation continues

A box corer is deployed to retrieve benthic samples - benthic data is used to form an Environmental Baseline Survey, which in turn forms part of a company’s EIA (photo RPS Energy)

WORK towards a hydrocarbon drilling programme in the Falkland Islands continues to progress with the news that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are soon to be submitted by Desire Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration to Executive Council for approval.

The preparation of an EIA is one of a number of procedures companies are required to go through before drilling wells, Pippa Christie, the administrative manager at the Department of Mineral Resources said. “To produce a comprehensive EIA constitutes a major piece of work, but Desire and Rockhopper are on track with this, which is greatly to their credit.

“Once the details of a contracted drilling rig are known, both companies will be required to submit an addendum to their EIAs to demonstrate that they have taken account of any particular environmental issues that might arise as a result of the type of rig to be utilised.”

Despite the credit crunch, the world rig market remains tight with many rigs tied up on long contracts and the day rates for rigs holding their high, pre-global economic downturn prices.

However, Mrs Christie said it was hoped that gaps in rig work programmes would arise, and Falklands operating companies would be able to take advantage of these.

She added: “Once a rig has been identified, then, in addition to submitting an addendum to the EIA, a company must embark on a process of receiving approval to drill, which, briefly, will require them to submit a satisfactory well design proposal, and to demonstrate that the health and safety standards of the rig and their operating health and safety protocols are up to the levels required by the Falkland Islands Government.” Source: Penguin News