The company licensed to search for oil offshore Jamaica in the Walton-Morant area, United Oil & Gas Plc, is denying claims it has discovered oil off the island's coast.

The company responded to the recent online claims in a media release on Tuesday.

"United confirms that it has drilled no wells in the Walton-Morant licence and therefore no commercial oil or gas discovery has been made," it stated.

United said it is currently engaged in a farm-out process. It said its 2024 work programme is focused on conducting piston core sampling, which aims to detect any oil residue before considering future exploration drilling targets.

Brian Larkin, United's Chief Executive Officer commented that "The Walton-Morant Licence is a vast exploration area containing numerous promising prospects. We are committed to improving our understanding of the resource potential within the licence area. We continue working to secure a strategic partner to unlock the immense potential within the licence, including recent positive interest that has been shown by several parties."

He said the company will update the market at the next suitable opportunity.

On Monday, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz also dismissed the claim of oil discovery, describing it as “fake news”.

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