Events & Courses

Time: 6.00pm for 6.30pm

About the Speaker: Phil Richards

Phil Richards is the petroleum manager at the BGS. He did his BSc at Aberystwyth and PhD at Strathclyde. He has worked extensively on North Sea geology and also as a consultant in a range of countries, principally helping developing nations generate inward investment through petroleum exploration. He has been the principal adviser to the Falkland Islands Government since 1992.

Abstract

Exploration around the Falkland Islands started in 1977, was interrupted by a skirmish in 1982, and recommenced with the first drilling in 1998 when the lack of discoveries and crash in the oil price led to most companies losing interest in the region.

Subsequent geological work by the regulator’s department developed new play concepts, and led to a new exploration effort by a group of small, UK-based, entrepreneurial companies in 2010. The resulting 34 month drilling campaign concluded with six discoveries and a resurgence of political interest from the neighbours. The Falklands are now on the brink of becoming an oil producing nation.

The talk will review the drilling campaign and its successes, and look to the future for the area.

• N.B. In this instance the talk cannot be recorded and therefore will not be available to attend online.