Ho Ho HO Pugwash am snowed in again and thank u for telling me,speak soon,Tally Ho.
http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/malvnewsroundup/display.var.2012157.0.mathon_firm_targets_rich_oil_reserves.php
Mathon firm targets rich oil reserves
By Jack Davidson
Comment
Dr Colin Phipps with a piece of oil reservoir rock.
POTENTIALLY vast oil reserves under the Falkland Islands are being targeted by a Mathon company hoping to make hundred of millions of pounds.
Desire Petroleum, headed by geologist Dr Colin Phipps, will compete with five other companies to drill deep into the sea bed of the British overseas territory.
Dr Phipps said: "There are potentially several billion barrels down there. It could be getting on for the UK part of the North Sea if it was accessible. Until you drill you do not know."
The limited company is currently worth between 60-70 million dependent on share price, but this value would rocket if they were successful.
"Dependent on how much oil we discover, the company could be worth anywhere between hundreds of millions and billions of pounds."
The project represents the biggest venture yet of Desire Petroleum, who are named after the ship to first discover the Islands in 1592.
The company would employ contractors to complete the work, with the cost of drilling each well estimated at between 5-10 million.
The current interest in the South Atlantic islands follows a drilling programme carried out in 1998, when six test wells were drilled in the North Falklands Basin.
This programme, led by Shell who are no longer involved in the area, found traces of oil but no proof that they were commercially viable.
"A lot of work has been done since then which indicated there are strong possibilities for oil," explained Dr Phipps who has lived in the Malvern area since 1955.
This recent geological work and the current record high price of oil has led to the current interest in the area.
Competing for the lucrative resource will also be Rockhopper Explorations, Falklands Oil and Gas Limited, Borders and Southern Petroleum, Argos Explorations and, mining giant, BHP Billiton.
The six companies would drill separately from the same oil rig with desire operating four wells and Dr Phipps explained they all had an equal chance of success.
"All oil exploration contains a certain gamble," he said.
The Falkland Islands, only home to around 3000 people, would become hugely rich if the reserves were found to be commercially viable.
Under licensing laws, issued by the Falkland Islands Government, they would be due nine per cent royalties on any oil drilled and a corporate tax rate of 25 per cent.
Dr Phipps hopes to begin drilling sometime later this year