Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Exploration and Onshore Geological Activities
March/April 2000 Newsletter
Offshore Oil Exploration
Representatives from IPC visited the Falklands in early March. Dr St‚phane Labont‚, Chief Geophysicist for Lundin Oil gave a technical presentation on the North Falkland Basin to Government officers and Dr Roger Cairns, a director of Sodra updated the meeting on company strategies.
Desire Petroleum chairman, Dr Colin Phipps and director Stephen Phipps also visited the Islands recently. Again Government officials were briefed on Desire?s latest work including a review of their seismic survey analysis over Tranches I and L. These southerly Tranches have not been drilled yet.
The representatives were able to meet recently appointed senior members of Government while in Stanley and continue to report monthly to the department on their activities.
All the operators conclude that a rich organic source rock is now present in the North Falkland Basin which is a necessary component for any oil to be formed. Figures as to the amount of hydrocarbons generated in the lower portions of the source rock vary from company to company but Shell and BGS indicate that possibly up to 60 billion barrels of oil have been generated in the North Falkland Basin. BGS suggest that the first exploration wells targeted potential oil fields above the source rock, whereas new geological modelling suggests that there maybe more success drilling below the source rock.
The Government will be assisting oil companies with their future drilling plans by encouraging new companies to farm-in to existing licences. It is hoped that funds will be raised in this way to enable more wells to be drilled in the next few years.
The department will be exhibiting results from the first exploration drilling phase in the North Falkland Basin at the meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) in New Orleans in April. Opportunities for companies to invest in the area will be promoted.
Onshore Geological Activities
The continued good weather has made fieldwork activities quite favourable for Falkland Islands Mineral Development Limited?s team lead by geologist, Derek Reeves. (FIMDL is a partner, together with FIC of the Cambridge Mineral Resources Licence). Department staff visited one of the prospecting areas in February and was impressed with the stringent procedures being implemented on site. Equipment shipped from Australia last year is working well and withstanding the rigours of Camp conditions.
In addition to reviewing the work of Cambridge Mineral Resources during his visit, Dr Phil Stone gave useful advice on a number of matters including calcified seaweed and water sources for both Stanley, MPA and Darwin following the dry summer.
Dr John Maisey, Palaeontologist from the American Museum of Natural History and his colleagues, had a rewarding visit to the Falklands in February. Although John did not find any ancient sharks teeth he has collected some fascinating geological specimens that are being shipped to New York for analysis. Details about his research and his visit can be found on web page:-
www.discovery.com/exp/prehistoricsharks
Geological Maps of the Islands are for sale from the department at œ20 for two sheets and a geological explanation. An in-depth report to complement the map is also available on request for œ50. Please contact Amara Watts on telephone 27322 or e-mail for details.
To read more about hydrocarbon exploration, visit the FIG web page:-
www.falklands.gov.fk/oildept2.htm
Department of Mineral Resources 14 March 2000
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(c) FINN 1997 all rights reserved.
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