By: Staff Writer
September 15, 2026
United Oil & Gas PLC out of London, commissioned a a study on offshore drilling rig-availability and costs for its Walton-Morant licence off southern Jamaica, the company said in filings.
“This drilling study marks an important step in our operational planning to advance the Walton-Morant licence towards a potential future drilling programme. It will provide a current, market-based assessment of rig suitability, availability, commercial conditions, and the long-lead items required to drill Colibri and Thunderball or similar targets,” stated United’s new chief operating officer Donal Meehan in a statement.
The UK-based company has hired NRG Well Management to examine the availability and cost of offshore drilling rigs, equipment procurement timelines and the supply chain needed to support possible drilling in the Walton-Morant area off Jamaica’s southern coast.
The study does not mean drilling has been approved or will definitely take place. Instead, it is intended to help United prepare for drilling if it secures an investment partner and receives the necessary approvals from the Jamaican Government.
The Walton-Morant Licence covers approximately 22,400 square kilometers and contains over 7 billion barrels of prospective resource potential across identified prospects and leads, based on the company’s arithmetic sum of unrisked mean prospective resources.
The company stated the study does not constitute a commitment to drill a well at this time. Any future drilling program would require regulatory approvals from the Government of Jamaica and execution of commercial agreements.
The study is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. United Oil & Gas stated the information will support ongoing farm-out discussions and operational planning.
Donal Meehan also said the study will provide market-based assessment of rig suitability, availability, and commercial conditions required to drill the targets.
United’s involvement in the Walton-Morant area dates back to 2017, when it acquired a 20 percent interest in the offshore license from Tullow Oil. Tullow later withdrew from the project, and United took over the license with a 100% working interest in 2020.
The Jamaican Government subsequently granted extensions allowing the company to continue exploration and its search for an investment partner. Its current extension runs until January 2028, giving United additional time to advance plans for a potential exploration well.
Earlier this year, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz expressed cautious optimism about the exploration program after United completed a geochemical survey of the area.