Two to three months before Jamaica knows oil and gas findings — Vaz

It will take two to three months for the country to know the results of the exercise to explore for oil and gas in Jamaica.

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz told a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House that the data and samples are being taken to a lab in the United States for analysis.

Vaz disclosed that United Oil & Gas PLC completed its surface geochemical exploration programme on February 28, which was conducted over 34 days.

He said 1,189 line kilometres of echo sounder data were collected to map the sea floor across the Walton and Morant Bay basins.

Further, Vaz said heat flow probe data were gathered to analyse temperature gradients, while piston core samples were taken from 42 locations across the basins to test for the presence of oil and gas.

He said the research vessel returned to Kingston Harbour and later departed to undertake the next phase.

“These cores are being offloaded and are now en route to a lab in the United States for detailed analysis. Results are expected within two to three months,” Vaz said.

“This is simply not a technical exercise. It is a meaningful step towards understanding the geological potential of offshore Jamaica. The data collected was state-of-the-art and will inform evidence-based decision-making about the country’s energy future,” he added.

He noted that there were no safety incidents, no environmental accidents and no conflicts with fisherfolk during the exploration exercise.

“As we await the lab results, the Government remains committed to a responsible, science-based approach. Exploration does not mean exploitation without safeguards. It means gathering facts, analysing data and making informed decisions in the best interest of Jamaica,” the energy minister said.

He cautioned against speculation and false information about the presence of oil and gas in Jamaica and urged the public to await official information.

“So once again, I caution everybody to be patient and calm and to listen to the Government on this very sensitive matter … it will be two to three months before we hear anything, positive or negative, so we don’t expect to hear any rumours circulating about the discovery of oil or gas.”

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