From Bloomberg on Tuesday evening:
Argentina’s Foreign Ministry summoned the U.K. ambassador over plans by Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd. to start drilling a well near the islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
Argentina will issue its “most energetic protest against the imminent start of drilling” near the Falkland Islands archipelago, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement. The islands, known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina, lie about 480 kilometers (298 miles) off the South American mainland and are claimed by Argentina as its territory.
Falkland Oil & Gas and partner BHP Billiton Ltd. expect to begin drilling in their Toroa offshore field in April, Chief Executive Officer Tim Bushell said in an interview last month.
Argentina, which fought a war with the U.K. over the Falklands in 1982, has repeatedly protested efforts to explore for energy deposits off the islands. In 2007, then President Nestor Kirchner voided a 1995 oil and gas exploration agreement with the U.K. that had been suspended for five years.
“The Foreign Ministry reiterates its sovereign rights over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the sea surrounding them, which form a part of its national territory,” the statement said.
Falklands Oil & Gas, of course, won’t be the first British explorer to start drilling off the Islas Malvinas.
On Tuesday, Desire Petroleum said the Ocean Guardian, which has been tugged all the way from the Cromarty Firth , was expected to be in position by the middle of the month to spud the first well of its campaign on the Liz prospect. This is located in Desire’s Tranche C acreage. After that the rig will be allocated to Rockhopper Exploration and then possibly BHP – FOG’s partner in the region.
Related link:
The Falkland Oilands revisited – FT Alphaville