Energy company Rockhopper Exploration and Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd., have announced that drilling operations at Isobel Deep well have recommenced. Isobel Deep is located in the North Falklands basin and is part of the current round of drilling in Falklands' waters.
The Falkland Islands maintain strong regulatory oversight on all oil and gas operations and its offshore safety regime is based on the North Sea’s Safety Case regulatory structure, recognized as one of the highest standards in the world, said the Falklands' government in a release following concerns related to technical issues on the rig Eirik Raude, currently operating in the South Atlantic.
The Argentine government on Tuesday sued several energy and support companies that are drilling for oil near the Falkland Islands, the latest chapter of a longstanding dispute over the South Atlantic archipelago, though analysts say it will have little practical effect. The criminal case was filed in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego province which according to the Argentine constitution includes the Falklands and Antarctica.
Three oil explorers drilling in the Falkland Islands, including Houston based Noble Energy have shelved plans to drill a second well in the south and east Falklands following the steep drop in oil prices, one of the partners said on Monday. Partners, which also include London-listed Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL) and Edison International, said they would continue drilling in other parts of the region.
Following its success with the Zebedee drill, the rig Eirik Raude is moving a short distance to start the second well of the latest Falkland Islands exploration campaign. The next target of the current four prospects exploration campaign is Isobel Deep, later followed by Jayne East and finally Chatham.
The Falkland Islands government welcomed on Thursday the announcement by Premier Oil and partners that the 14/15b=5 “Zebedee” well has been declared an oil and gas discovery following the completion of its evaluation program, Zebedee is the first of six wells from the current drilling campaign planned to take place in Falklands waters during 2015.
Premier Oil spudded its first 2015 Falklands drilling campaign well, 14/15-5, using the Eirik Raude semisubmersible drilling rig on the Zebedee prospect on 6 March. The well, on license PL004b, will test a total of seven stacked fan bodies with varying geological chances of success (GCoS) of 9-52%.
Falkland Islands Holdings chairman David Hudd has resigned from the board with immediate effect and been succeeded by non-executive deputy chairman Edmund Rowland, it was reported on Monday. John Foster continues as group managing director.
This week Houston based Noble Energy, one of the several oil companies operating in the Falkland Islands made the official opening of the temporary dock facility (TDF) in Stanley, an essential piece for the logistics of the industry which is scheduled to begin another round of exploratory drilling in the first quarter of next year.
The Falkland Islands Government welcomed the announcement on Thursday morning that a drilling rig has been contracted by a consortium of licensees for a new six-well program of offshore exploration and appraisal work commencing in early 2015.