ENAP
looks for oil and gas in Magallanes
Mercosur
Press
MONTEVIDEO
Petroleumworld.com 05 28 06
ENAP, Chilean government
owned petroleum company will be investing 2.5 million US dollars in
exploring for oil and gas in two different areas, 60 and 120 miles to
the northeast of Punta Arenas.
The “Drilling
of Exploratory Wells in Tertiary blocks, Dorado-Puerto Sara and Riquelme-Manzano”
will involve working and moving equipment in extensive farmland areas,
46 settlements belonging to Magallanes Region, for which several environmental
impact assessment papers were presented.
ENAP is planning to eventually drill eight wells following extensive
3D seismic surveying.
“All activities
will take place in rural areas, far from urban centers”, argues
ENAP adding that the project has a “strategic value” for
Chile, given the “current energy crisis”.
“We will keep environmental authorities informed of the working
schedule and the areas to survey and drill. Drilling in the first stage
will range between 100 and 500 metres with further stratigraphics surveying”,
said ENAP representatives.
The first block,
Riquelment-Manzano covers an area of 1.042 square kilometres with three
sub-areas, Riquelme 265 sq. km; Riquelme South 330 sq km; and Manzano,
450 sq km. The Dorado-Puerto Sara block is 780 sq km with three sub
areas: Punta del Cerro, 430 sq km; Puerto Sara, 250 sq km; and Dorado,
100 sq km.
Preliminary shows
none of the land to be drilled belongs to the Protected Areas system
or national heritage areas. Biodiversity describes the area as Patagonia
flatland steppe.
Mercosur
Press 24 05 06
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