Eli Lassen is manager of Atlantic Supply Base. They are quite optimistic in their views that oil will be extracted from the Faroese CS. They are preparing themselves for a possible oil industry in the Faroes.
Atlantic Supply Base in Runavik has been an active participant in the exploration drilling that have been made in the Faroes since 2001, i.e. 5 wells.
ASB was founded in 1999.
Now, new challenges are ahead of us.
The Statoil explorations well “Brugdan” last year, unfortunately, failed to show any large quantity of oil and gas, but, anyhow, now we possess experience in drilling through basalt, and the basalt must have given many oil companies sleepless nights, but, nevertheless, Eli is convinced that the Oil Companies will find oil and gas on the Faroes CS.
We are making preparations for the BP exploration “William” well later this year and the challenges ahead of us, says Eli.
I would like to use Offshore Europe 2007 as an opportunity for me to meet Oil Companies that may wish to come to Faroe Island to drill and, of course, also those who work at a short distance from the Faroese/UK border. If Oil Company works on the Atlantic Frontier, Oil Companies will be able to save about 24 hours by sailing to ASB/Runavik as compared with other supply ports.
This is important, and at the same time, this means protecting the environment by saving fuel and less green house effect.
If the vessels need pot/drill water, bunkers, crew change, provisions, bulk, e.g. Barite, Bentonite and Cement, NaCl brine, KCL brine and mud, and other logistic tasks, we are able to offer all this at the Atlantic Supply Base, says Eli.
Skalafjord the best place
I am convinced myself that Skalafjord is the best place for a supply base.
- By nature, the Skalafjord is very good. When tenders were invited for the supply port, several ports offered their services, but the Oil Companies chose Runavik. This means that foreigners and people with knowledge of the oil industry chose Skalafjord.
- We have now six years of experience with supply base service, and the Oil Companies who have done there exploration well’s, have been well satisfied with our service, so I do not think there is any reason to move the supply base away from Runavik, says Eli Lassen.
It is very important to be able to offer good conditions when a rig owner sends a rig for repair in a short/long period of time.
The Oil Companies want sheltered water, and there is no doubt that Skalafjord is best suited for this.
Transport the oil to Shetland
I am of the opinion that oil and gas will be found on the Faroese CS within three to five years, and this is because Chevron has found good and light oil only 8 km from the Faroese/UK border.
The question is, of course, whether the oil found on our CS is of sufficiently good quality to extract, says Eli, who does not think that the oil should be extracted and taken to the Faroes.
It does not make sense to transport the oil to the Faroes and then export it directly to (main land) again. I think that the oil found on the Faroese CS should be connected to the pipes and infrastructure, which are on the Atlantic Frontier between the Faroes and Shetland. It would be much too expensive to make a terminal and lay new pipelines to our islands.
In Shetland, we find an oil terminal with all the equipment necessary; we can, sell the oil to them and take the proceeds home again.
If it later on appears that, there is oil to the North and the West of the Faroes we have another challenge, which we must solve then.
All the equipment for oil prospecting on the Faroese CS must, of course, cross Faroese quayside, as well as equipment for construction of a possible oil field.
We have many Faroese enterprises that are fit for being sub-contractors to the oil industry and they must, of course, have an opportunity to make an offer for various works on equal terms with others, says Eli Lassen finally.
