Jamaica fishermen saved oil survey, says Tullow

(Jamaica Gleaner) Tullow Oil surveyed far and wide offshore Jamaica, utilising modern oil-sensing equipment, but largely to no avail until fisherfolk led the company to an oil sheen near the Pedro Banks.

Jerome Kelly, Tullow’s exploration manager for the Caribbean, admitted in a Gleaner Business interview on Friday that if it were not for the fishers, the oil explorer might have considered halting its exploration in Jamaica.

“At the time, fishermen - whom we engage with closely when we are doing our offshore activities - said that there were some reports of slicks of oil in the area off ‘Blower Rock’ area at the eastern end of the Pedro Banks,” said Kelly, who was interviewed alongside Tullow managers, among them principal geoscientist Madeleine Slatford; David Newton, the safety, sustainability and external affairs managers; and John McKenna, regional and development manager for South America and the Caribbean.

Usually, such tips show evidence of refined or ship pollutants. But not that time, he said.

“In this case, the sample seemed like natural crude oil,” recalled Kelly, adding that the team returned last summer and retested the area, which confirmed the findings.

In early 2015 and 2016, the Tullow team concentrated their surveying in other locations, accumulating over 3,000km of data, which largely came up without oil evidence.

The team, building on the lead of the fishermen, now wants to conduct surveys covering an additional 670 kilometres of 2D data under their exploration licence with the Jamaican Government.

“The survey will start in March, and the median length would see it last five to 10 days,” Kelly said about the survey, which will examine Blower Rock at Pedro Banks northwards to Kingston city.

“The live oil was of a tiny amount, so it doesn’t say how much is underground, nor does it say where that oil has come from, and that is why we are doing the survey.”

Kelly explained that in early 2016, the team chose to survey other areas because previous companies conducted unsuccessful oil surveys in parts of the Pedro Banks areas during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The findings are expected for release in May. If the results are positive, it would result in the company conducting a 3D survey. If those results are positive, the company could begin drilling as early as 2019-2020, said Kelly.

Gleaner Business asked whether it was first time oil was found offshore.

“Well, the fishermen would say that they always knew about it for years, but you’ve just never asked us,” responded Kelly.