DRILLING in Falklands waters will go ahead as planned despite an Argentine decree aimed at handicapping shipping movement between the Islands and South America. From London British Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Chris Bryant reiterated that “we have no doubt about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and we're clear that the Falkland Islands Government is entitled to develop a hydrocarbons industry within its waters”.
President Hugo Chavez's government said it is not interested in buying electricity from neighbouring Colombia despite Venezuela's struggles with severe energy shortages.
The Argentine government’s announcement on Tuesday that all cargo navigating between Argentina and Falklands/Malvinas Islands “will require previous authorization” received a quick and energetic response from the British government through its embassy in Buenos Aires.
Falkland Oil and Gas, FOGL announced Monday it signed a deal will Desire Petroleum to use the “Ocean Guardian” rig to drill the first ever exploration well in the East Falklands Basin on the Toroa prospect, which is expected to happen during the first half of 2010.
Chevron and Repsol YPF SA will lead development of two 15 billion US dollars projects to pump and refine Venezuelan crude after winning the country’s first oil auction since President Hugo Chavez took office 11 years ago.
Brazilian government managed energy giant Petrobras announced this week that it has found oil at a well located in shallow waters of the Campos Basin. The find was made in waters just 200 meters deep and is near massive deposits in deeper areas of Campos, which is located off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state and is the basin where 80% of Brazil’s oil is extracted.
AS the Ocean Guardian oil rig is scheduled to arrive in Falklands waters next week, a UK-registered start-up seismic contractor is aiming to carry out a speculative 6,000km multi-client 2D shoot on unlicensed acreage in Falklands waters.
Brazil's state-managed oil company Petrobras signed this week an agreement with the Uruguayan state oil company Ancap to explore and produce oil and natural gas on Uruguay's continental shelf.
Argentina blocked Wednesday a ship from leaving a Techint Group plant after it traveled to the Falkland Islands without government permission, the Argentine Foreign Office said. The “Thor Leader” is docked in Techint’s Campana plant carrying a cargo of 7.099 tons seamless pipes, the government office said in a statement.
Norway’s AGR Petroleum Services (AGR) will begin a significant drilling campaign, valued at more than £2 million, off the Falklands Islands this month on behalf of two operators, announced the company in Oslo.