Energy & Oil

• Monday, March 21st 2011 - 18:35 UTC

  Falklands’ oil find likely to be commercially viable, says Rockhopper Exploration

  

  Rockhopper Exploration announced Monday that its Sea Lion discovery in the North Falkland basin is likely to be commercially viable and anticipated drilling for further appraisal wells (a minimum of three).

• Sunday, March 20th 2011 - 07:43 UTC

  Uruguay contracts 2D seismic survey in anticipation of second oil licensing round

  

  Singapore based Reflect Geophysical has been selected by Uruguay’s state oil company Ancap to carry out a 2D seismic survey in the country’s Punta del Este and Pelotas offshore basins.

• Saturday, March 19th 2011 - 07:26 UTC

  Oil legislation to obstrut Falklands’ industry, a ‘boomerang’ for Argentine companies says FCO

  

  For the Foreign Office the bill approved this week by the Argentine congress that proscribes fines and sanctions for companies or persons involved in support of the oil industry in the Falkland Islands is a ‘boomerang’’ that will only harm Argentine companies, reports Buenos Aires daily La Nacion in its Friday edition.

• Saturday, March 19th 2011 - 07:19 UTC

  Argentina on its way to become net energy importer, claim former ministers

  

  Eight of Argentina's former energy secretaries have released another document highly critical of the government's energy policies. The document, signed by most of the people who have run the Energy Secretariat since Argentina's return to democracy in 1983, is a scathing criticism of government policy.

• Thursday, March 17th 2011 - 05:30 UTC

  FOGL has identified large prospects for exploration in the South Falkland Basin

  

  London listed Falkland Oil and Gas says that its negotiations to secure a deep water rig are at an advanced stage as it seeks to drill the large prospects it has identified across the South Falkland Basin.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 01:23 UTC

  State elections behind Merkel’s decision to halt 7 of Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel is backtracking on nuclear power as the atomic emergency in Japan becomes an issue in state-election campaigns. Merkel’s decision to halt seven of Germany’s 17 reactors includes two in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where her party is battling to retain its 59-year-hold on the state in a March 27 vote.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 09:55 UTC

  Repsol continues to cut its holdings in Argentina’s YPF

  

  Repsol YPF, (REP) Spain’s biggest oil company, agreed to sell 3.83% in YPF for 639 million US dollars, cutting its holding in the Argentine unit to 76%, and said it plans to sell more shares through a public offering.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 18:01 UTC

  Falklands’ oil company announces further drilling and seismic surveying

  

  One of the Falkland Islands oil and gas exploration companies currently involved in the oil exploration round with licences granted by the Falklands’ government announced it plans further drilling and has acquired new 3D seismic data while it continues with the wider seismic program.

• Sunday, March 13th 2011 - 00:33 UTC

  Explosion at quake-damaged Japanese nuclear power station; 170.000 evacuated

  

  An estimated 170,000 people have been evacuated from the area around a quake-damaged nuclear power station in north-east Japan that was hit by an explosion, the UN atomic watchdog says.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 22:35 UTC

  Petrobras abandons oil exploration in Cuba; all eyes set on Repsol-YPF

  

  Brazilian oil giant Petrobras has withdrawn from an offshore oil exploration block in Cuba's waters that it leased amid great fanfare in 2008, a Brazilian official said on Thursday, citing poor prospects.