MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina to drill two wells next to Falklands’ waters in last quarter

Stena DrillMax considered a state of the art vessel-rig currently is operating in Brazilian waters

Several oil companies operating in Argentina have teamed up to begin hydrocarbons explorations close to Falklands’ waters. The companies have programmed to spend 140 million US dollars in two exploratory wells for which they have contracted a special drilling vessel, according to reports in the Buenos Aires press.

Companies involved are YPF, Brazil’s Petrobras and PAE which is an association of Argentina’s Bridas and British Petroleum.

The vessel “Stena DriMax” is scheduled to drill two 2.000 metres wells in an area 320 kilometres from Rio Grande and 498 kilometres from Rio Gallegos.

Although not many details of the operation have been disclosed “Stena DriMax” should be arriving in the last quarter of the year and will count with three support vessels operating from Comodoro Rivadavia as the logistics base.

An estimated 250 people will be involved in the drilling round, says the Buenos Aires press. The vessel can accommodate 180 people.

YPF has drilled in the South Atlantic, mainly offshore Chubut province in relatively shallow waters but this time the operation is to take place at an average depth of 500 metres according to the Buenos Aires press.

Stena DrillMax is currently operating off-shore Brazil contracted by YPF parent company, Spain’s Repsol.

The initiative apparently has been spurred by the Argentine government in response to the exploratory drilling round in Falklands’ waters by four British companies with the oil rig Ocean Guardian, and which has infuriated Argentine authorities and upset public opinion.

The first well drilled in the north Falkland basin by Desire Petroleum showed abundant signs of oil and gas but was finally sealed since it lacked the sufficient commercial volumes.

According to the Stena Drilling website, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stena AB, Gothenburg, Sweden and is one of the world's foremost independent drilling contractors.

In 1989 and 1996 Stena acquired Houlder Marine Drilling and Ben Line Steamers / Atlantic Drilling respectively; and with them, history and pedigree dating back to the mid-1970s. The acquisitions were strategic in providing Stena Drilling, not only with worthy drilling units, but also with staff and personnel, who brought invaluable operational experience and success into the Company.

Today, Stena Drilling manages a global business, holding a portfolio of successful, past and present operations in the North Sea, US Gulf of Mexico, South East Asia, Mediterranean, Caribbean, South America, Australia, North Africa and West Africa. In expanding its fleet of well-maintained drilling units, the Company has had an active role in building and converting rigs and, in doing so, pioneering some of the most leading-edge technologies and innovations in the drilling world.

The 228 metres long Stena DrillMax was built by Samsung Heavy Industries, South Korea and is described as a dynamically positioned drilling vessels designed for year round world wide operations in ultra deep waters. She has a water depth capacity of 10.000 ft and 35.000 deep drilling with a variable deck load of 15.000 tons.