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A HIGH-level delegation yesterday toured a state-of-the-art vessel, the Polarcus Asima, which has been chartered by Repsol to undertake seismic two and three-dimensional surveys in the eastern Guyana Offshore - Kanuku Block.
The delegation, which comprised Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, along with Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Newell Dennison and Giancarlo Ariza, Guyana Country Manager, Repsol Exploracion S.A, and other key players in the mining sector , were briefed on the technical capabilities of the vessel.
The Guyana Government and Repsol, in May of this year, signed the agreement for petroleum exploration in the Kanuku Block off the Berbice River by 2016.
In December 2011, Repsol began offshore drilling of the Jaguar-1 well in Guyana, but operations were abandoned after it encountered very high pressures at intervals above the depth targeted.
But despite this setback, the results were said to be heartening, with the company’s Director of Exploration in Latin America, Joseba Murillas saying that “the oil recovered from Jaguar-1 was the first significant amounts ever recovered from offshore Guyana wells.”
Minister Persaud said during the tour yesterday that he welcomed the early research and scientific work by Repsol, which will take Guyana and the company closer in its quest to drilling for oil offshore Guyana.
Noting that a key component of the exploration activities is early action, he took the opportunity to urge Repsol to maintain its urgency in realizing the potential of a commercial discovery of oil.
He added that the company’s commitment to expend US$ 35 M for the current survey and the anticipated drilling for oil shows a great deal of confidence in Guyana’s hydrocarbon resources offshore.
According to Allan Kean, Manager of Exploration, Repsol, the state-of-the-art vessel, reputedly the largest in the Polarcus fleet at 92 x 21m, will over the next 90 days conduct refined seismic surveys, the result of which will be analysed and fast-tracked for presentation to the company.
He pointed out that the 2D surveys will last for 10 days, while 3D surveys will take a maximum of two-and-a-half months. Kean added that the information will allow the exploration team to make recommendations to Repsol’s management on the way forward.
Meanwhile, he has indicated that Repsol will be ready to drill as soon as possible since the company doesn’t make money until oil is found.
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