After a busy 2011 and 2012, 2013 was a relatively quiet year for exploration around the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. The various companies involved in the region's nascent oil and gas industry preferred to spend the year focusing on seismic data acquisition campaigns and consolidating some of their assets.
As part of her Atlantic Patrol Task (South) deployment, HMS Richmond has visited San Carlos Water, the scene of the amphibious landings during the Falklands War of 1982. The site is also the final resting place of HMS Antelope which was tragically lost on 23 May 1982.
The Falkland Islands Government and local company Synergy Information Systems Ltd have agreed a contract for the provision of IT services to Government. The contract, signed last week following formal approval by Executive Council, involves the management of the Government’s IT network infrastructure and user support and results in the transfer of more than 80% of Government IT work to the local private sector.
Rockhopper Exploration has issued details of its next planned exploration wells offshore the Falkland Islands. The details were published on the Offshore site 23 December. Rockhopper was the first of several companies operating in Falklands waters to confirm the existence of oil and gas.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica thanked Senator Luis Rosadilla for the gesture of having volunteered to join Argentine forces back in 1982 when the Malvinas conflict broke out and said the struggle for Latin American territory continues and an end to shreds of colonialism is 'a commitment with a motherland still to be constructed and waiting'.
Argentine ambassador in Montevideo complained to Uruguay's leading newspaper over an article published in a features magazine referred to the Falkland Islands Wind from the South which completely ignores the international community, and Uruguay's, struggle against colonialism.
Uruguayan Senator Luis Rosadilla said that he received Argentina's honors for having volunteered when the Malvinas war broke out in 1982, in the name of all those Uruguayan citizens that have done so much for the anti-imperialism cause.
Argentina has created a new government agency under the scope of the Foreign Ministry to address issues related exclusively to the Malvinas Islands, designating former senator Daniel Filmus as its chief. The creation of the secretariat and Filmus’ appointment were published in Friday's edition of the official gazette under decree number 2251/2013.
Prime Minister David Cameron reaffirmed Britain's steadfast support for Falkland Islands self determination and development of its resources, outstanding the Falklands referendum as the great event of 2013, a year which he described as 'momentous'.
Britain accused the Argentine government on Tuesday of revving up a dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands to try to divert public opinion attention away from the country's severe economic problems.