United Oil & Gas looking to start piston core sampling in Jamaican waters by early next year

 

The United Kingdom based, United Oil & Gas, has announced that it expects to get permits to start piston core sampling in Jamaican territorial waters by early next year.

 

The company, with a licence to explore for oil offshore Jamaica, says that process is well advanced.

 

Piston core sampling is a geotechnical and geological method used in oil and gas exploration, to collect sediment samples from the seabed. It involves driving a long, cylindrical tube, known as the core, into the sediment, to recover relatively undisturbed layers.

 

This allows researchers to analyze the composition, structure, and properties of the material.

 

In one of its recent updates to stakeholders, the UK based firm United Oil and Gas, says the planning and permitting processes for the piston core sampling in Jamaican waters "is advancing".

 

The company says permits are expected in early 2025.

 

Once those are granted, an analysis will be done of the sediments recovered, to give a clearer picture of their composition, and to verify the presence of hydrocarbons, which are primary components of oil and natural gas.

 

 

The piston core sampling also helps assess geotechnical properties such as sediment stability, which is crucial for designing offshore drilling rigs and infrastructure.

 

 

The area being explored by United Oil and Gas under the Walton-Morant licence to the south of the island, covers more than 22 thousand square kilometres, with some estimates suggesting that, under ideal conditions, the basin could contain over seven billion barrels of oil, that might be recoverable. 

 

In January 2024, United Oil and Gas received a two year extension of their licence until January 31, 2026.