MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Comodoro Rivadavia readies to become oil exploration town

A jack-up oil platform for exploration in shallow waters is expected to arrive in the coming weeks in the Argentine San Jorge Gulf basin where three exploratory wells have been scheduled for drilling plus a fourth offshore Santa Cruz province, according to reports in the Argentine press.

Although there has been no official confirmation by the companies involved on the coming operation, Repsol-YPF facilities in the Comodoro Rivadavia port compound are being updated and the company has contracted additional office space. Local maritime agents have admitted the imminent arrival of two tugs which are specific for oil rig supplying. Another Patagonian location, Puerto Deseado will also be involved because Repsol YPF has important maritime fuel deposits in the port. The jack-up rig for shallow waters (200 meters) will be fixed to the sea bed and drill wells to a maximum 2.000 meters. She operates with a crew of 120, has a helicopter landing pad and is linked to satellite positioning, reports the Argentine press. However Argentine oil industry sources are cautious about expectations: exploration is expected to take anywhere from 12 to 18 months followed by a long period of analyzing and interpreting all the data collected from the drillings. The environmental impact assessment and monitoring is a joint operation between the Argentine Technology Institute and the Quebec University. Only then and if reasonable commercial possibilities exist does the industry move to the second stage of exploitation. Apparently in the San Jorge Gulf basin during the seventies and early eighties an estimated 26 wells were drilled and a few of them had positive signs of hydrocarbons presence but "a commercial exploitation did not seem feasible at the time". Two additional wells have been planned for drilling in the Austral basin in the framework of the Helix project off Tierra del Fuego. In this case the logistics apparently would be managed from Rio Gallegos. Companies involved are Chile's Enap Sipetrol, Repsol YPF and Enarsa, Argentina's newly created energy corporation.