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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... alk109.xml

After 10 years of frustrating delays since oil fields containing up to 60 billion barrels of "black gold" were discovered off the islands, oil companies are planning to start drilling within the next 12 months.

60 billion barrels off the falkland islands?

Surely not!?

I always assumed that was what we fought the Falklands War for. Dunno about the 'newly discovered' bit, mind.

60bn is like the whole north sea, oil not water.

Likely we will waste that like north sea oil

There's only one problem with the oil around the Falkland Islands. It's called the South Atlantic.

Seriously though, this is no "new discovery". Last time I heard about it was the late 1990's and I just happened to be in the company of a Shell/BP project manager (old school friend's father) who was completely unsurprised at the news report, his comment was along the following lines: "We've known about that oil for years and estimated the reserves to be about as big, if not slightly bigger, than the entire North Sea."

The Argies had better get in there quick, then, while all our troops are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, if they want their share, which I presume they think is all of it. I've been wondering for a while now when they will try again.

Totally_Baffled wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... alk109.xml

After 10 years of frustrating delays since oil fields containing up to 60 billion barrels of "black gold" were discovered off the islands, oil companies are planning to start drilling within the next 12 months.

60 billion barrels off the falkland islands?

Surely not!?

Wow. that's enough to keep the world going for....less than two years.

At CURRENT rates of consumption.

kenneal wrote:The Argies had better get in there quick, then, while all our troops are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, if they want their share, which I presume they think is all of it. I've been wondering for a while now when they will try again.

Given that the said Argies are now "A Democracy" what do we all think "our" excuse is going to be this time? Your most creative answers welcome...

RenewableCandy wrote:Given that the said Argies are now "A Democracy" what do we all think "our" excuse is going to be this time? Your most creative answers welcome...

OK I'll make a start with "They invented the Tango, which is Sinful"

Moadib wrote:Wow. that's enough to keep the world going for....less than two years.

At CURRENT rates of consumption.

Not the right way of looking at it.

kenneal wrote:The Argies had better get in there quick, then, while all our troops are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, if they want their share, which I presume they think is all of it. I've been wondering for a while now when they will try again.

Here's the deadline for the Argentinean project managers:

The new UK CVF Royal Navy aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are expected to enter service in 2014 and 2016.

The design continues to evolve but CVF is expected to displace 65,000t, a size between the USA's 100,000t Nimitz class and the French 43,000t Charles de Gaulle class aircraft carriers, and three times larger than the 20,000t UK Invincible class carriers.

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvf/

Firstly, a quote from Colin Campbell regarding the Brazilian Tupi field:

British Gas, a partner in the project, has released information stating that the Tupi discovery, which underlies a great thickness of salt at a depth of some 5000m contains 12 to 30 Gb of oil and gas in place (with gas quoted in terms of calorific oil equivalent). It mentions that the oil has a gravity of 28o API, which is surprisingly low for the high temperatures to be expected at that depth. At a guess, one might hazard that about 30% of the deposit is oil and that 40% would be recoverable. If so, it might yield between 1.4 and 3.6 Gb of oil. The operating conditions are extreme, and after further appraisal, a full-scale floating production system may be in place within about seven years. Producing the gas poses even more challenges. (see www.investis.com/bgir/results/2007).
It was undoubtedly an important discovery opening a new very exceptional province, but it will not be cheap, and the Brasilians would be wise to conserve the production for their own use.

...meaning take any early figures with a colossal amount of salt, noting particularly the 'up to 60 billion barrels' bit.

Notwithstanding this news, can someone fill me in on exactly why these islands should be part of the UK?

emordnilap wrote: Notwithstanding this news, can someone fill me in on exactly why these islands should be part of the UK?

It's historic innit. And in 1982 when the last invasion happened Dennis Thatcher thought they were somewhere off the coast of Scotland (allegedly)

RenewableCandy wrote:

emordnilap wrote: Notwithstanding this news, can someone fill me in on exactly why these islands should be part of the UK?

It's historic innit.

Oh, we stole them. I see now.