Alistair King Claims Villagers Support U.S. Capital Oil Exploration Goals

Alistair King

Two villages which have not taken a position on the matter are Crique Sarco and Dolores. The villagers are expected to inform the Government on Thursday. Today, News Five spoke to U.S. Capital Energy Country Representative, Alistair King, who explained why the company has decided to carry out oil exploration in Southern Belize once again.

Alistair King, Country Representative, U.S. Capital Energy Belize Ltd.

“Although we weren’t successful in finding oil, with all the knowledge and information we have from our seismic and last drilling project we believe that there is a good chance that the oil is somewhere else, somewhere else close. Not necessarily back in the park. SO with that knowledge they decided to put up some more money after having spent some hundred million Belize dollars and continue the exploration project. Right now our application is at the Petroleum and Geology office. Since that last court case where the Supreme Court that before any license is issued the Government has to do a consultation process with the Mayan villages that are in the area that we want to get the PSA over. These are intelligent people. They ask good questions. Unfortunately they have been told a lot of lies by others. By and large the people remember the jobs they had. They remember what US Cap did for them and at the end they took they vote and they voted yes, let the company come back. It covers about a third of the old area because the old area use to reach up to nearly to Placencia. So now basically we are just basically coming off the main road to San Felipe, down to Dolores and around. It is a much smaller area but that is the area we feel we need to concentrate now.”

Reporter

“What are the possibilities of the company actually finding black goal inthis specific area?”

Alistair King

“We feel the chances are good but people are not put in millions of dollars unless they feel there is going to be something there. The company on the other side of the Sarstoon will also going to re-drill. And if they have oil in them, we feel like they do, at the same time it is high risk game. But with the knowledge that we have now, we will not be in the national park. Still in the area but outside the park. Last time we drilled we were only eight hundred meters inside the parks so we weren’t very far into it. This time around the villagers remember the benefits of the oil company. There is no risk to the villagers although some people are lying to them, keeping telling them risk. There are no risks. They are going to get employment. There has been no employment when the oil company left so there is chance for employment again.”

Representatives from the Department of Environment, Attorney General’s Ministry, Petroleum and Geology Unit and Forest department are involved in the process.