Six international groups of 14 companies from 10 countries have applied for Falklands Islands offshore exploration licenses.
Bidding closed July 2. The government received bids for 10 of 19 groups of blocks to the north and southeast of the islands. The licensing round opened last October (OGJ, Oct. 9, 1995, p. 36).
The Falklands government intends to disclose license awards this year. A number of the bids were for the same blocks.
Philip Richards, principal geologist at the British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, which has helped coordinate seismic surveys and licensing, said there was "substantial competition" on some tracts.
The Falklands' government is reluctant to list applicants for acreage, but press reports have said license group leaders include Lasmo plc, London; a joint venture of British Gas plc and Argentina's YPF SA; a partnership of Royal Dutch/Shell and Agip SpA; Amerada Hess Ltd.; and Desire Petroleum Ltd., a London company including investors from the Falklands that was set up to bid in this round.
Meantime, Westmount Energy Ltd., St. Helier, Jersey, U.K., has agreed to take a 20% stake in Desire Petroleum Ltd. Desire has a 20% interest in a bidding group headed by Lasmo as operator.
John Martin, oil licensing team administrator for the Falklands' government, said, "The Falkland Islands government has received a very positive response to its offer of offshore licenses, and it is now entering the evaluation stage before license awards are announced.
"We are working to schedule, and it is hoped that the awards will be announced well before the end of the year, in order that those companies that wish to do so can use the next austral summer to begin exploration programs."
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