Fracking & Deep offshore Oil in Portugal 2014. (WTF!!?)

Oil in Portugal (1938-2014)

First concession where in 1938 for oil and Tar Sands in the Lusitania basin and Algarve basin, it was active until 1968. During that period in Lusitania they took seismic study’s near Lisbon, they also made 78 drills, with 33 being more that 500m deep, some seen as sub commercial production. In 1973 and 74 where made 30 oil offshore contract’s, the last one where in 1979. This time  also cover the Porto basin. Between 1978 and 2004, 39 area’s where concede, 23 concession’s onshore, 15 offshore and 1 deep-offshore. After the seismic deep offshore work of TGS-Nopec in 1999-2002, the government release a public contest for oil exploration. Repsol-YPF (spain) and RWE-Dea (Germany) run for 2 block’s in 2005. But In 2006 Mohane Oil was the only company working in Portugal. In 2007 12 new contract where assign.

• 3 concessions with Hardman Resources Ltd; Petrogal S.A.; Partex Oil and Gas for the Lavagante, Santola and Gamba areas. In 2010 the areas went to Petrobras Internacional and Petroleos de Portugal (petrobrás/Galp).
• 4 contract’s (Petrobras/Galp/Partex) for Camarão, Ameijoa, Mexilhão e ostra áreas, depp offshore Peniche
• 5 contract’s with Mohave Oil for Cabo Mondego-2; S.Pedro Muel-2; Aljubarrota-3; Rio Maior-2 and Torres Vedras-3, on shore and offshore Lusitania basin.

In 2008  the coalition Hardman/Galp/partex make 2D seismic studys in Alentejo basin. The coalition Petrobras/Galp/Partex make 2D seimic studys in Peniche basin.

In 2011 Mohave keep seismic workink in Mafra, and Torres Vedras.

In 2012 Mohave open a 4.000 m well in Alcobaça, the work went for 50 days, 24 hour’s a day.

In the same year after 3D seismic, all the concession show sediment’s. In 2013 Mohave: had 6 concession’s onshore/offshor. Galp/Mohave: 1 concession onshore. Oracle Energy: 1 concession. Petrobrás/Galp/Repsol/Partex: 4 concession deepshoe. Petrobrás/Galp: e concession’s. Repsol/Partex: 2 concession’s offshore.

2014: Repsol and Partex in Algarve offshore. Oracle Energy in Barreiro (on shore).

More than half of the Continental borders of Portugal (offshore) have oil potential. On shore, pré salt in all basin, mainly Natural Gas.

The last days of 2014….

Mohave Oil ( Porto Energy) USA,  abandoned the works after not be able to fund investor’s for oil and gas production (not because of lack of oil or gas). The company also try to sell the seismic data… It fail. The company leave a 6,475m of oil area. (The CEO of this company, are Ian B. McMurtrie, start is career in Texano Exploration Canada).

Petrobrás also leave the work in Portugal saying that company will abandoned all the work outside Brazil. They want to concentrate in the brasilien pré salt, and stop spend money in Portugal, New Zealand, Iran and Libya (we can see why).

Partex Oil and Gas where created just before 2º World War by Caloust Gulbenkian (Mr 5%) in Panama. Today the company belong to the Gulbenkian Fundation.

Galp is a Portuguese company. Beginning being Privatized in 1999. In 2000, the ENI and EDP (energy of Portugal, privatized in 2013), become member’s.  In 2005 the Grupo Amorim also joint, and in 2006 have 33,3% of Galp. The year after star exploring in Timor.

Mohave and Petrobrás leave the rest of the work mainly to Repsol, Galp and Partex…

2014 also where the year that individuals and groups star make “visible” the fracking problem. Some action’s, debates, information meeting’s, newspaper’s articles, start to show up in the South and in the North of Portugal. But the political and lobbing (dark, red, and green) forces are wining… Also some projects for, pipelines, environmental “studys” for logistic building’s (“Gas bunkers”, C02 keeping to sell, Harbor’s for super-oil ship’s) are on the political agenda.

In 2015/2016  the The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)  could start the trade agreement to be negotiated between the European Union and the United States. Tar Sands already start to come to Spain…. All off this will get worst…

This is the first text in English after some desire of people to understand better what is happening in Portugal with Fracking and unconventional oil. IF you would like more/better information… just ask… don’t rush.. and i will  respond… if you think I can help… Just… ring…

Hugs and keep doing it….

sorry  about the bad (writing) Inglish…. It’s done…