Premier Oil has increased its 2015 exploration budget by $20 million to account for higher investments in its drilling campaign in the Falkland Islands, the company said this week in a trading update. The company also revealed it is considering further drilling at the Isobel Deep recent discovery instead of going on to Jayne East in North Falkland.
Falkland Oil and Gas plans to continue drilling into next year, its chief executive said, defying legal threats made by the Argentine government against oil explorers in the Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands Government welcomed Thursday's announcement by Premier Oil and partners that the 14/20-1 ‘Isobel Deep’ exploration well has been declared an oil discovery. Isobel Deep in the North Falkland basin, is the second well of a six-well offshore campaign planned to take place in the Islands waters through 2015.
Oil explorers drilling in the waters north of the Falkland Islands have suspended work on the second well of their 2015 current six-well drilling campaign after a technical problem, two of the companies involved said on Friday.
The Argentine government on Tuesday sued several energy and support companies that are drilling for oil near the Falkland Islands, the latest chapter of a longstanding dispute over the South Atlantic archipelago, though analysts say it will have little practical effect. The criminal case was filed in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego province which according to the Argentine constitution includes the Falklands and Antarctica.
The Falkland Islands government (FIG) announced it has extended the public consultation period for the Oil & Gas Social Effects Monitoring Program, which was originally intended to end this week. The new deadline is Friday 24 April.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has accused Argentina of bullying after it announced on Friday in London that it was starting legal action against companies drilling for oil and gas near the Falkland Islands.
Three oil explorers drilling in the Falkland Islands, including Houston based Noble Energy have shelved plans to drill a second well in the south and east Falklands following the steep drop in oil prices, one of the partners said on Monday. Partners, which also include London-listed Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL) and Edison International, said they would continue drilling in other parts of the region.
Following its success with the Zebedee drill, the rig Eirik Raude is moving a short distance to start the second well of the latest Falkland Islands exploration campaign. The next target of the current four prospects exploration campaign is Isobel Deep, later followed by Jayne East and finally Chatham.
The Falkland Islands government welcomed on Thursday the announcement by Premier Oil and partners that the 14/15b=5 “Zebedee” well has been declared an oil and gas discovery following the completion of its evaluation program, Zebedee is the first of six wells from the current drilling campaign planned to take place in Falklands waters during 2015.