MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Desire Petroleum to complete survey in North Falkland Basin

Seismic vessel M/V Bergen Surveyor

Desire Petroleum plc announced that Wavefield InSeis ASA will return to the North Falkland Basin later this month to complete the site survey programme started earlier this year.

In addition to completing the programme in Tranche C it is also intended to acquire site survey data in Tranches I and L over the Dawn and Ruth prospects as well as over two new prospects recently identified in the area. Following these site surveys Desire will have six prospects ready to drill in Tranches C and D and on completion of the environmental impact assessment currently underway on Tranches I and L, four prospects ready to drill in that area. The contracted vessel is the Norwegian flagged M/V "Bergen Surveyor", which has just completed a major 2D seismic programme for the Uruguayan state oil company ANCAP. Commenting on these developments, Ian Duncan Chief Executive of Desire said:"The Desire team continues to add prospects and reduce drilling risk through detailed technical studies over our licenced areas. "We are delighted at the renewed interest in the Falklands shown by new entrants in to the region and remain confident that commercial hydrocarbon systems are present and that active exploration will confirm our technical evaluations."