Repsol-YPF to explore for oil in Malvinas waters at the end of 2010
Spanish-Argentine Oil Company Repsol-YPF announced Thursday that it will drill for oil in an area near the Falkland Islands beginning next November /December.
It will drill about 200 miles off Argentine coast by December, “well within Argentinean waters” said the corporation’s CEO Antonio Brufau.
The move comes as UK oil companies begin to search for oil in the Falklands, despite strong opposition from Argentina.
A platform ”Ocean Guardian”, towed 8,000 miles from the Cromarty Firth in Scotland started drilling in the Falklands north basin this week.
“We are now in the process contracting an oil rig” said CEO Brufau who added that even when exploration in the area “is not easy and success chances low or limited”, the operation will go ahead.
Antonio Gomis, Repsol-YPF manager in Argentina said the plan is to explore for oil in a “few” wells in the area. He added the fields were about 150 to 200 miles west of where the “Ocean Guardian” is, in Argentine territorial waters.
Repsol through its Argentine affiliate YPF and with a 33% stake is the main operator of the exploration project which also includes, Brazil’s Petrobras and Panamerican Energy.
Repsol-YPF two years ago announced an agreement with the Brazilian and US companies to work in the area with the main exploration set to begin in 2010. In 2009 Brufau said the consortium was already working in the area.
“We want to continue exploring in Argentina, a mature country regarding oil exploration because it has over a century in the industry. Currently we have 13.000 wells in production in Argentina and our target is to continue exploring offshore, and for this purpose we are involved in the Malvinas area and the San Jorge Gulf”.
On Wednesday Argentina formally asked United Nations to bring the UK to talks over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and to freeze all hydrocarbons operations in the disputed waters.
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Mr Brufou of course in Argentinean waters, like The Guardian is....
Evidence that the Argentinian claim is unfounded:
www.bgs.ac.uk/falklands-oil/reggeol/PlateTech.htm
Your information is not relevant. Continental shelf is determined under laws and treatises.<br />
In this case, each country presents its “case” to “UN Convention on the Law of the Sea”, with the respective research and documentation supporting its claim. Once the Convention takes the desicion, it is obligatory to all countries. Argentina did his presentacion, so did UK.<br />
When a country´s claim is in conflict with another caountry´s claim, the Convention does not consider any of them. Instead, they ancourage both nations to resolve their differences, or to make a combined presentation.<br />
UK tried to make a combined presentation with Argentina in 2001, 2004 y 2007. Argentina declined.<br />
Why?<br />
Because UN resolution about south atlantic issues between Argentina and UK clearly asks both governments to ”expedite negociations concerning the dispute over SOVEREIGNTY” ... not resources, not oil, not administration, not falklenders, but SOVEREIGNITY, and UK always refused to do that. <br />
If they refuse to talk about sovereignity... why talk about anything else?<br />
<br />
If it is in Argentine waters we'll of course do nothing, seeing as the FIG doesn't interfere with Argentina's EEZ. I see Llen continues with the lie that its Britain that refuses to talk.
Why do you put words in my mouth I´ve never said?... Of course UK wants to talk... they want to talk about many things, basically because they want a good “business relationship” with us... they just refuse to talk about the only thing that matters: Argentina´s sovereignity over Malvinas... any other subject is pointless without this one...
No Britain doesn't refuse to talk, it just refuses to talk with Argentina's pre-conditions. Something you nicely illustrate with your presumption of “Argentina's sovereignty”. Which is of course non-existent, not that you'd ever be prepared to consider the actual merits of your “case”.
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