Exploration company Island Oil & Gas says its drilling programme for 2007 will mainly focus on its Old Head of Kinsale gas field in the Celtic Sea. The company made a successful gas discovery there this year.
Announcing its proposed drilling programme for next year, the company says it also has an option to drill a well in the Schull licence to further evaluate the gas potential in and around the Schull gas field.
The company has also set up an established farmout programme for various near-development and exploration programmes in the Donegal, Slyne and Rockall Basins in the Atlantic Margin.
Island Oil & Gas also announced today that it has been granted a licence in the Zag Basin, offshore Morocco. The Zag Basin is an under-explored Palaeozoic North African sedimentary basin for which no seismic data has been acquired to date.
However, an active petroleum system is believed to be present in this basin, based on the early drilling history and the proven presence of a source rock which the other major oil and gas fields of the neighbouring countries has.
The licence, which is valid for a year, covers an areas of 21,807 square kilometres, or about one third the size of Ireland.
This is all very nice but in terms of energy supplies, we should really consider looking to the way Scandinavians are handling it. The oil era is almost over, these last oil or gas fields are only going to take us so far.
In terms of growth, if energy prices continue to increase, it'll hinder our development. Then, there's also the environemental factor to look at, our shores are a wealth not to be squandered for short term benefits. There are a lot of options on the table, the most beneficial for us are not necessarily the most profitable to the companies circling around our leaders. I don't think we can afford to waste 10 years waiting for an oil based economy to collapse, decisions and orientations have to be taken now. You hear that M6 ?! Look to Scandinavia instead of listening to the sharks circling around us.
True, I have no doubt that in the next 20 years, a Manhattan-like project will be funded by the US in order to find alternative energies. I also believe oil in Morocco might resolve in a loss in performance, competitiveness and productivity. Wind and Solar energy are a way to go.
on a different token, the real next scarce resource in our region is water...
A Manhattan-like project is already on the way using the particle accelerator in Switzerland, I don't know if they made any progress. However any breakthrough will be shared with corporations which will bill anything they want. I think Morocco can achieve some sort of energy independence combining solar, wind, biogas, biodiesel for fuel...etc
It's very realistic, this is not some utopian vision, but it requires a decision from the top because everything I've mentioned is not profitable in the corporate sense, meaning they won't be able to gouge moroccan consumers like they do with electricity or water. When I hear about a nuclear powerplant, I cringe because I know this is corporate lobbying at work. Don't get me wrong, profit is good but not at the expense of the long term development or the environement, a balance is needed here.
As for the water problem you mentioned, I've seen some desalination plants coupled with solar panels to power the osmosis process, it's very effective and the costs are very low since it's renewable energy from A to Z. We can even consider irrigating huge arid areas below Tan Tan for instance to develop certain types of agriculture turned to foreign markets. There's one now in La3youn, it cost 16/18 million euros but it's an old model in terms of desalination process.
We need this type of thinking. France and Russia are doing business when they're proposing nuclear plants, they see their interests, I would do exactly the same, it's fair game. But we should see ours.
Agree with desalination, the Maamora nuclear facility works towards that. Also agree reg. alternative energies, Brazil policies in that matter are a great case to study. However, nuclear is good too for energy delivered to industrial facilities. The energies we use at a personal level is low compared to what is needed in the industrial field. That is why I am not worried about corporate lobbying, if there is an invention tomorrow to use Air as a substitute to gas, I still believe there will be an "Air Lobby" working its way through the business arenas of the world
In a perfect world scenario, I would be favorable to alternative energies in this order:
chargement...
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