Search for offshore oil and gas ‘soon to resume’

    Barbados is getting ready to restart fossil fuel exploration, the Ministry of Energy announced Monday.

    Despite being severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, both Energy Minister Kerrie Symmonds and Jamar White, Director of Natural Resources in the Division of Energy have told lawmakers that everything is now in place for its resumption.

    White explained that in January 2020, Barbados awarded licences to Australian oil and gas exploration company BHP to explore the country’s offshore acreage for hydrocarbons.

    BHP was awarded two blocks, dubbed Carlisle Bay and Bimshire.

    Just as exploration was set to begin last year, the COVID-19 pandemic caused restrictions on business travel and conducting operations, White told the Standing Finance Committee at the opening session of the 2021/2022 Estimates in Parliament.

    “So we’re now at the stage where the company is ready to commence its offshore exploration work in 2021,” he said. “Over the last year while we were on pause due to COVID we were negotiating with the company to explore ways in which we could improve the exploration work programme.”

     

    He said BHP would be holding public consultations on the exploration drive soon.

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