The restrictions imposed on the movement of people due to the Covid-19 pandemic has forced Timor Resources to temporarily suspend test drilling in the south of Timor-Leste, the company”s director of operations told Timorese news agency Tatoli.
“We have suspended all activities, including the installation of drilling machines, as the technicians and engineers from countries like Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Australia, are not authorised to enter the country due to restrictions related to controlling the pandemic,” said Luís Pereira.
The Director of Operations said that the company will wait until the end of the state of emergency to resume assembly of equipment, which takes about a month, which will then be checked by the National Oil and Mineral Authority before drilling can begin.
He said he could not give a date to begin drilling, which before the outbreak of the new coronavirus, had been scheduled for next July.
The three wells where test drilling is due to be conducted are located in the municipality of Covalima, and it should take about 40 days for the equipment to be installed at each of the locations.
The President of Timor Gap, Francisco Monteiro, recently said that his company and Timor Resources would start drilling three to five wells in the block, three of which at a depth of 2,000 metres, which would require an investment of US$35 million.
