News Briefs

Positive indicators but no oil find in Jamaica, says PCJ

While indicators are relatively positive, Jamaica is not yet at a point where it can declare an oil find or predict with certainty the presence of oil and gas in commercial quantities in its on-shore or off-shore exploration areas, the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) said in a release yesterday.

The PCJ said although work is progressing steadily under a 2014 production sharing agreement with Tullow Oil PLC, Jamaica has not struck oil; but the lengthy exploration process continues in a positive vein.

Although the preliminary evaluation of data showed signs which suggest prospective resources of as much as 200 million barrels, the information is, at best, indicative and cannot be considered conclusive, the PCJ said. The detailed risks associated with these prospective resources can only be determined if a well is drilled.

Tullow and the PCJ are now undertaking a detailed analysis of the data, which should be completed by the end of the third quarter of this calendar year. The final results of the survey will help Tullow decide around a drill or drop decision by 2020.

“We are encouraged by the first overview of the results from the 3D seismic survey that was done last year, but there have been situations in other nearby territories where similar indicators were present, but they drilled and came up empty, so we are not getting ahead of ourselves by making any predictions about the presence of oil or the quantities that may be available,” the PCJ Acting General Manager Brian Richardson explained.

“Oil and gas exploration is a lengthy, painstaking process and there is no getting around the geological work including the data gathering and analysis and we are still taking it step by step,” he added.

 

 

Teen shot, killed at health centre

A brazen gun attack at the Maxfield Park Comprehensive Health Centre yesterday left one teen dead after criminals invaded the compound to unleash their terror.

Reports are that shortly after 10 a.m., patients and staff were sent scampering when gunshots rang out at the St Andrew-based facility.

Following the shooting, Bailey 19-year-old Roshekie Bailey was seen suffering from gunshot wounds.

Bailey, who was reportedly shot in his community on Maxfield Avenue last Sunday, was visiting the health centre for treatment.

He succumbed to his injuries and the attackers escaped.

The police are conducting investigations.

 

10,000 J'can overstayed in US in a year

A total of 10,626 Jamaicans overstayed their United States (US) non-immigrant tourism/business (B1/B2) visas between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2018, the US Department of Homeland Security has reported.

This is a jump by 1,073 when compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, according to the agency's Fiscal Year 2018 Entry/Exit Overstay Report.

Over the period, 312,667 Jamaicans were granted entry to the US and were expected to depart the country during that window of time.

The department said that for that period, it has no departure records for 10,242 Jamaicans (now classified as suspected in-country overstays), and 384 Jamaicans left the US after their authorised period of admission expired (out-of-country overstays).

The agency said that based on the above figures, Jamaica has a total overstay rate of 3.40 per cent and a suspected in-country overstay rate of 3.28 per cent.

Troubled by the number of travellers to the US who overstay their B1/B2 visas, President Donald Trump has asked the secretary of state, in consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security, to provide recommendations to address the issue.