Geologist calls for further research into oil exploration

The Maltese platform brings a unique opportunity for oil exploration, independent MP, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said today during a press conference held by the Malta Council for Science and Technology on a new geological study.

The study conducted by Dr Peter Gatt consists of thorough geological analysis of the Malta platform, Malta's offshore continental shelf which spans approximately 150 km.

Gatt, a geologist specialised in the geology of the Malta continental shelf, based his study on the analysis of rock samples from six exploratory wells drilled in the Maltese platform by oil corporations British Petroleum, Total and Shell, with some information dating back to 1956.

He explained that Malta is "dwarfed" by its neighbouring countries in terms of geological research.

Gatt pointed out that over the past 50 years there have only 12 wells have been drilled, while Italy alone has drilled up to 7,000 wells in the same period.

The geologist said the reason why Malta has never been successful in oil and gas exploration was not down to a lack of the resources beneath the Maltese platform, but "it is down to a lack of geological research, the lack of drilling and the institutional problem."

He stressed that big oil companies consider Malta's territory as high risk because a Geological Service has never been carried out.

Gatt said Malta is the only EU country without a Geological Survey and also underlined the lack of an institution that carries out geological research and its applications.

Malta's continental shelf is larger then that of Israel and Albania, however both countries have been successful in their explorations.

"This study shows that we have potential, however we must act on it," Gatt said.

Gatt dispelled any fears in relation to the possible increase of offshore exploration in Maltese territory, saying that such disasters as the 2006 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 are hard to repeat themselves because oil wells in Maltese territory will not be deeper then 200 metres.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology chairman Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando called for a geological unit to be set up to carry out research on Malta's platform and "make Malta attractive in terms of oil exploration and not just leave things to chance as we have done over the past 50 years." Pullicino Orlando added that "to date Malta might have been going about things the wrong way".

Asked whether the MCST is looking at exploring alternative sources of energy, the MP said that the council is focusing its energies on floating solar panels which could exploit the sea and the sun to produce renewable energy.

Gatt's study, which is a chapter of his PhD study, shows clear effects of climate change on rocks in the Maltese platform and his seismic studies of the rock composition of Malta's ocean floor indicate variations in porosity of oil and gas reservoir rock.