OIL POTENTIAL IN FIJI

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Permalink Reply by Me Damu on November 18, 2009 at 2:26am

HISTORY OF EXPLORATION
Fiji first gained attention as an area of petroleum potential in 1968 following the discovery of oil seeps in neighboring Tonga. Subsequently, there have been two stages of exploration. The first period from 1969 to 1977 commenced with reconnaissance mapping by Shell Internationally and Magellan Petroleum in 1969 and 1970, which provided the first assessments of source rocks and reservoirs. Following this, the first exploration license, covering Bligh Water Basin (Figure 1), was awarded to a partnership with Southern Pacific Petroleum as operator in 1969. A total of 1590km of regional deismic data was acquired from which sediment thicknesses and general basin depocentres were established.
In 1971 three licences were awarded to Offshore Oil Exploration, Atlantic and Oceanic Resources, and Investment Corporation of Fiji; and a fourth to International Petroleum in 1972. These licences covered the western Yasawa Platform, central Lau Ridge, Bau Waters Basin and Baravi Basin respectively (Figure 1). A total of 1585km of seismic data was acquired in these concessions from 1971 to 1975. A further 4433km of regional speculative seismic data were acquired by Amoco and Western Geophysical in 1972 and 1973.
From these surveys the Bau Waters Basin and western Bligh Water Basin were outlined and general sediment thicknesses determined on the Lau Ridge. By 1977 all licences granted during the first period of exploration had expired.
Encouraged by high world oil prices, the second period of exploration took place from 1977 to 1987. In 1977, Dakota Exploration was awarded a concession in the Bau Waters Basin and western Koro Sea. Over 1400km of seismic data were acquired offshore which permitted more detailed structural interpretation.
In 1978 three exploration licenses were awarded to Pacific Energy and Minerals covering Bligh Water Basin, the Yasawa Platform and Great Sea Reefs Platform. Following farm-out agreements with, or options taken by, Bennet Petroleum, Chevron and Mapco, 6050km of seismic data were acquired which formed the basis of more detailed structural interpretations. Geochemical investigations of sea-bottom sediments in Bligh Water showed one pentane anomaly indicating thermogenic, migrated hydrocarbons.
Exploration drilling followed with Chevron's wells Bligh Water- 1 and Great Sea Reefs-1 in 1980 (Figure 1). During 1981 and 1982 Bennet Petroleum drilled four wells: Buabua-1 and Buabua-2 located on an island in western Bligh Water Basin, followed by Maumi-1 and Cakau Saqata-1 in Bau Waters Basin. Finally, Worldwide Energy as operator of the Pacific Energy and Minerals group drilled well Yakuilau Island-1 in 1982 in western Bligh Water Basin.
All seven wells were drilled to test Tertiary reefal limestone objectives but, none reached its target and a re-evaluation of seismic data shows that six of the wells did not drill valid structural traps. Consequently, Tertiary reefal limestones are still an untested play with considerable potential. On a more positive note, drilling has shown the presence of source rocks and shows of oil and gas in the offshore basins of Fiji (Figure 2; see Petroleum Geology).
By 1987 the second group of licences had expired. In the same year the Fiji Government's Mineral Resources Department completed a major source rock sampling programme. Two earlier evaluations by SOPAC (refs 1 & 2) have been superseded by a major new evaluation (Ref. 3), the results of which are summarized here. Further details of Fiji's exploration history are given in an earlier publication (Ref. 4).
At present (April 1993) there are no exploration concessions held in Fiji.

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Permalink Reply by SET TU on November 18, 2009 at 2:56am

uuu ke qai basika dina na waiwai....SA DA VUTUNIYAU....NA LEWE NI VANUA.....

ISA SIGA CAVA BEKA NA QAI VAKAVOTU KANA NA WAIWAI QO

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Permalink Reply by Me Damu on November 18, 2009 at 3:42am

sa voleka naita, na qai donumaki ratou na makubudaru vaka rua

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

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Permalink Reply by SET TU on November 18, 2009 at 12:24pm

i guess tht be good for them......

me ra bula kina na kawa mai muri......i mean o keimami....

o nyte...haha

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Permalink Reply by Me Damu on November 20, 2009 at 6:39am

Lack of expertise holds up oil, gas extraction


10/29/2009 fijisun


The oil and gas extraction operation expected to make Fiji one of the richest countries in the world, is still going ahead.
However, the lack of expertise in the field according to Minister of Mineral Resources Netani Sukanaivalu has been the main cause of delay.

Yesterday, Mr Sukanaivalu confirmed that exploration by overseas companies is still ongoing along the Bligh Waters and Bau Waters basins where oil and gas has been identified.

“There are conditions that have to be met by the companies who are exploring. The problem is that we do not have the expertise in my ministry,” Mr Sukanaivalu said.

Conditions to be met, according to Mr Sukanaivalu, is the setting of infrastructure for drilling and so fourth.

“Right now they are working on those conditions and policies before they can start with the drilling,” he said.

Mr Sukanaivalu, however, did not wish to elaborate on when extraction is expected to begin.

In July, the Ministry completed its series of meetings with interested overseas companies. Their bid to explore oil in Fiji was based on their findings in the early 80s where a lot of big oil companies drilled for oil in the country.

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Permalink Reply by Tasman Neebar on November 20, 2009 at 7:39am

I have no doubt that Fiji has potentially huge oil and gas fields under our land.I would list 3 huddles which we should avoid in order to harness and benefit from these natural resources.
i)get a 3rd world country to do the exploration..e.g.China or Brazil,etc..because countries like for e.g Australia have vested interest in selling oil to us so you can figure out the rest...
ii)we have to resolve pending land issues because sooner or later people will start fighting over land where oil or gas is found.....oil will then become a curse rather than a blessing...
iii)steady and honest governance of our country so that the fruits of oil and gas will benefit all.....because as we well know,there are alot of selfish and greedy politicians out there...

I am 100% sure there is oil and gas in the deltas of our large rivers and also out in the open seas.We need the right people to explore them.

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Permalink Reply by westen fj on November 20, 2009 at 9:22am

Vinaka Me Damu for the Topic........

There is oil and gas in Fiji and so much more, like Rare Gemstones, Minerals,Kerosene(seeping thru the grnd)
untapped Gold resources in other parts of Fiji,these valuable resources will not be found unless our ancestors (Vu) allow it to be shown to the World, It doesn't matter how sophisticated in technology a country is when they come and explore, if our ancestors don't allow it, they cannot tap into those resources.

BTW most of these valuable resources was already known to the i Taukei's and the Goverment of Fiji even before overseas company's came in to explore, but information about it is being "suppressed and archived" in a room in the PM's office only the PM has the key to it.

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Permalink Reply by bond on November 20, 2009 at 10:44am

dina taucoko

me donu ga na veiliutaki sa na qai matata na veika kece qo.

au sarava tiko ena Aljazeera dua na documentaries me baleta na Blessing and Curse of Oil.

Dua na vanua mai aferika ,sa ra raica na tu ga na Project lelevu ni vei Kabani ni Drill taki Oil ia ira na lewe ni vanua era sega ni bau raica e dua na kena vakavotukana ena nodra bula e veisiga.E muri sa qai kilai ni nodra Peresitedi e vakona tale tiko nai lavo ni Waiwai ki na nona Bank Account ka tiko sara mai Switzerland kei Parisi.Yaga tiko ga vei koya kei na nona vuvale.Ratou na luvena era dau Holiday i New York,ka ra lai vakaitikotiko ena vei otela sau lelevu mai kea.Sa qai kilai ni Lavo ni Waiwai ratou sa yanaraka tiko va vuvale.

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Permalink Reply by Mah... on November 26, 2009 at 2:18am

au duavata kei na vakasama nei mr bond, eventhough there will be a lot of positive outcomes of oil to our country there are also the negatives to consider..the effects to the local communituies and the surrounding environment and landsape which most of us as pacific islanders depend on alot for food and also income..for example in PNG, the local are helpless in the stand against preserving their natural habitat, tradition and culture and most importantly their health. the goverment do not really care about what is happening to the locals... i urge that we use renewable energy, that is the answer for our country because of the future generations..

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Permalink Reply by Kasanita Kamakorewa Lindell on November 20, 2009 at 10:52am

It will all come down to one thing....'OWNERSHIP' of land and water (i qoliqoli), with unsettled disputes among key Mataqali members all over the country (Fiji) it will be quite a difficult undertaking............whatever it may be!

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Permalink Reply by bond on November 20, 2009 at 11:06am

io dina Kasa !! ena gadrevi na nomuni Signature ni veivakadonui ke sa mani kacabote na waiwai ena Delta.

Dau levu na kalougata dau lasika mai ena delta me vaka na Niger Delta.Ia kedatou ike sa na lasika votu mai na Rewa Delta.

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Permalink Reply by Kasanita Kamakorewa Lindell on November 20, 2009 at 11:17am

Maroroi kedatou gonei! @ bond.....Ko nomu kanaka sara la mai qori na 'Niger Delta' e sa na qai nodatou ulutaga kina mai na 'Rewa Delta' na i vosa2 oqo na >>>>>> "NIKKAH PLEASE" ! LOL!!!

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