Moontown

34-year-old Collin Warner was among a team of Antigua Public Utilities Workers trying to restore service in areas where power was cut when he lost his life.

Sagres Energy, the parent of Canadian firm Rainville Energy, which has the rights to explore three blocks offshore Jamaica for oil, says it has identified a “seismic bump” that could have three billion barrels of oil.

And now, the firm has until next March to drill and verify or give up the licence, but won’t drill unless it finds a partner.

In a statement issued last Friday, Sagres announced that “results of an independent evaluation of the resource potential of certain prospectus identified in Sagres’ blocks 9, 13 and 14 in the shallow-waters (20 metres) of the Pedro Bank 120 kms offshore Jamaica show(s) a gross mean prospective resource estimate (oil) of three billion barrels”.

The company’s chief financial officer (CFO) told the Business Observer that the term resource means that the readings “showed a seismic bump that should there be oil that is how much would be in it”. He referred to Business Observer to the president and chief geologist, David Johnson, who was unavailable after several attempts to contact him via telephone.

In the statement, however, Johnson said “this evaluation provides a better understanding of the tremendous resource potential that lays in Jamaica”.

“With the combination of nine of 11 historical Jamaican wells with oil shows, thre mature sources, two potential reservoirs, and large structures, we believe that it is only a matter of time before a large untapped commercial resource is discovered in Jamaica. Furthermore, Jamaica is ready to commercialise its resource potential with refining capacity of 45,000 barrels of oil per day, electricity generators that accept gas, oil, or biodiesel fuels, an established bauxite industry, and a geographic position central to the major global marine trade routes,” he said.

Sagres says it will continue to pursue joint venture partners to further explore and develop its interests in the blocks and has already signed confidentiality agreements with several international energy companies to access the data for the blocks, and evaluate the potential for a joint venture. But the firm says it won’t drill unless it finds a partner.

“Sagres does not currently expect to incur any material expenditures in respect of the blocks in 2010 or elect to enter into the second phase (which it must do by no later than March 2011) unless it enters into satisfactory arrangements with a partner for the funding of the Jamaican exploration programme,” said the release.

The production sharing agreement (PSA) gives Sagres the right to conduct exploration operations during an initial five-year period which is divided into two phases.

During phase 1, the firm processed existing seismic data and acquired new seismic information. The second phase, requires Sagres to commit to drill at least one well or surrender the block and terminate the contract.

Sagres said it completed its phase one commitments under the PSA with the acquisition and processing of 2458 km of 2D seismic data over blocks 9, 13 and 14 offshore Jamaica.

“The interpretation and integration of the new and old data was completed in July 2010,” said the exploration company in its press statement. “As part of this process, 51 existing seismic lines were digitally scanned and migrated, 8 well logs were reprocessed, and 2 lines of the new seismic data were selected for improved seismic processing. Geophysical and geological analyses of the data have resulted in a new suite of new interpretations, the definition of two drill-ready prospects, the identification of three additional leads, and a reassessment of the potential resource covered by the blocks.”

The resource evaluation, which has a preparation date of August 26, 2010 and an effective date of July 1, 2010, was prepared by Chapman Petroleum Engineering Ltd.

“In the remainder of 2010, Sagres plans to: continue geologic work to progress exploration opportunities from lead to prospect status, which may include further seismic processing; begin formative work on the environmental impact assessment and site-surveys for exploration drilling; and complete the annual review and budget process with the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ),” added the release.

Prior to the latest round of exploration, which also gives rights to Finder Exploration Pty Ltd of Perth Australia five blocks offshore southern Jamaica (namely blocks 6, 7, 10, 11 & 12), 12 exploratory wells were drilled between 1955 and 1981, of which two were offshore. (JamaicaObserver)

Tourists evacuated off coast; southeast New England also on alert

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Gerry Broome / AP

Motorists on North Carolina’s Outer Banks head towards ferries and the mainland on Wednesday as Hurricane Earl moves closer.

NBC, msnbc.com and news services

updated 2 hours 32 minutes ago

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HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. — With Earl packing 125 mph winds and closing in on the mid-Atlantic, a hurricane warning was issued Wednesday for most of North Carolina’s coast — adding urgency to the thousands of tourists on two islands ordered to evacuate.

A warning indicates hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours; a watch reflects 48 hours. The National Hurricane Center earlier extended a hurricane watch into Virginia.

Earl’s effect on the East Coast will depend on when it makes its expected turn to the northeast.

A later-than-expected turn could mean the storm’s eye makes landfall on the extreme eastern tip of North Carolina as a Category 3 storm late Thursday or early Friday.

If that happens, hurricane-force winds also could reach New York’s Long Island and Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

“Our two biggest concerns,” National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read told NBC’s “TODAY” show, are “the coast of North Carolina and extreme southeast Virginia on early Friday morning, late Thursday night, and then on Friday into Saturday for southeastern New England. Just a small change in the direction of the storm could raise an impact, and the large waves, beach erosion and rip currents will be a problem along the East Coast.”

Any westward shift could have a major impact given that Earl has hurricane-force winds extending 90 miles from its center, and tropical storm-force winds 200 miles out.

5,000 tourists head out
In North Carolina, visitors to the islands of Ocracoke and Hatteras were ordered to leave with Earl expected to dump as much as four inches of rain on the Outer Banks.

At 11 a.m. ET, Earl’s center was about 725 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and moving at 17 mph.

The 800 or so year-round residents of Ocracoke Island were told they did not have to go, but  officials hoped they would follow about 5,000 tourists forced to leave for the mainland.

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“I don’t remember the last time there was a mandatory evacuation order for the island,” Hyde County Commissioner Kenneth Collier said.

Tourists’ vehicles, some with campers in tow, lined up for the first ferries of the day from Ocracoke to the mainland. Another car ferry connects to Hatteras, which has a bridge to the mainland and came under the second evacuation order a little later Wednesday morning.

Video: Will Hurricane Earl make landfall? (on this page) Dare County, N.C., issued a statement saying the evacuation of visitors to Hatteras was ordered “before high seas produce overwash on N.C. Highway 12 which will impede safe travel.”

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“The evacuation is only for visitors on Hatteras Island and does not apply for areas north of Oregon Inlet. The order does not include the towns of Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Southern Shores, Roanoke Island or the mainland of Dare County,” it added.

“Protective measures should be taken to secure property. Everyone should complete preparation activities, such as storing all loose outside objects. In advance of any hurricane, everyone should prepare an emergency kit including nonperishable food, water and clothing to sustain each family member for three days,” the statement continued.

The center earl Wednesday extended the hurricane watch into part of Virginia. It now applies from Surf City, N.C., to Parramore Island, Va., including the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.

“Earl is moving toward the northwest (at) near 16 mph. This general motion is expected to continue today with a gradual turn to the north-northwest thereafter. On the forecast track, the core of this hurricane … could approach the North Carolina coast by Friday morning,” the NHC said.

Hurricane winds to Cape Cod?
NBC meteorologist Bill Karins said some computer models showed Earl’s expected path had shifted west overnight, with a direct impact on the eastern New England shore possible.

“The National Hurricane Center now has Earl passing only 50 to 70 miles east of Cape Cod,” Karins said.

“This would bring hurricane force winds to Cape Cod and the islands Friday around 9 p.m. At this point, 75 percent of weather computers keep Earl off the East Coast, resulting in just a glancing blow; the other 25 percent would bring a significant hurricane near or through eastern New England. A Category 1 landfall in Maine is also a growing possibility,” he said.

“The weakening of Earl overnight was unexpected,” he added, “but not significant since Earl was never supposed to be a Cat 4 all the way to North Carolina. Earl will be either a Cat 2 or Cat 3 off of the Outer Banks. Earl will be either a Cat 1 or Cat 2 when closest to Eastern New England.”

Not since Hurricane Bob in 1991 has such a powerful storm had such a large swath of the East Coast in its sights, said NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen.

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“A slight shift of that track to the west is going to impact a great deal of real estate with potential hurricane-force winds,” Feltgen said.

Fiona at 60 mph
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fiona got stronger with winds of 60 mph as it headed toward the northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect for St Maartin and St Barthelemy and watches were in effect for several other islands, including Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.

Even if Earl stays well offshore, it will kick up rough surf and dangerous rip currents up and down the coast through the Labor Day weekend, a prime time for beach vacations, forecasters said.

Slideshow: Hurricane Earl slams Caribbean (on this page) Virginia’s governor on Wednesday declared an emergency, a preliminary step needed to muster emergency personnel should Earl hit the state.

Even the U.S. Navy was altering plans, hustling to get the USS Cole back in port in Norfolk, Va., before the bad weather arrived. The destroyer wasn’t supposed to come home from a seven-month deployment until later this week.

The approaching storm troubled many East Coast beach towns that had hoped to capitalize on the BP oil spill and draw visitors who normally vacation on the Gulf Coast.

Carl Hanes of Newport News, Va., on Tuesday kept an eye on the weather report as he headed for the beach near his rented vacation home in Avon, N.C.

He, his wife and their two teenage children were anticipating Earl might force them to leave on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule.

“We’re trying not to let it bother us,” Hanes said before enjoying the calm surf.

‘I kind of enjoy it’
In Rehoboth Beach, Del., Judy Rice said she has no plans to leave the vacation home where she has spent most of the summer. In fact, the Oak Hill, Va., resident plans to walk around town in the rain if it comes.

“I kind of enjoy it actually. You know, it’s battling the elements,” Rice said. “I have seen the rain go sideways, and, yeah, it can be scary, but I have an old house here in Rehoboth, so it’s probably more important that I am here during a storm than anywhere.”

In the Florida Panhandle, which has struggled all summer to coax back tourists scared away by the Gulf oil spill, bookings were up 12 percent over last year at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Interactive: Hurricane Tracker (on this page) The resort is nowhere near Earl’s projected path, and spokeswoman Laurie Hobbs said she suspects the increase in reservations was partly because of a discount the hotel is offering and partly because of the hurricane.

“Weather drives business,” she said. “They go to where the weather is best.”

On the coast of southern Maine, about 15 people have already canceled Labor Day reservations at Burnette’s Campground in York because of concerns about Earl, said owner David Woods.

But a Labor Day weekend washout won’t have the impact it would have had a decade ago.

“Labor Days have changed in the past 10 years,” he said. “It used to be the big bang end to summer, but now from the 15th of August until the first of September, it sort of dwindles off.”

If Earl brings rain farther inland, it could affect the U.S. Open tennis tournament, being played now through Sept. 12 in New York City.

“We’re keeping our eye on it very closely,” said United States Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier.

On Monday, Earl delivered a glancing blow to several small Caribbean islands, cutting power to some 200,000 people in Puerto Rico and tearing roofs off homes and knocking out electricity to people in Anguilla, Antigua and St. Maarten.

NBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES — Michael Douglas said on Tuesday he felt optimistic about recovering from throat cancer but drew gasps when he told a television audience he had the most advanced stage.

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The 65-year-old “Wall Street” actor told talk-show host David Letterman that a biopsy indicated that his cancer was at stage 4, which he described as “intense, and so they’ve got to go at it …”

Letterman asked whether stage 4 was a good diagnosis. “Um no,” Douglas replied, according to a transcript provided by CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman.” “You like to be down at stage one … but it has not — the big thing you’re always worried about is it spreading.”

Stage 4 cancer has spread far beyond the original tumor and is usually impossible to cure.

Douglas said he has at least an 80 percent chance of recovery. “And with certain hospitals and everything, it does improve.”

BY ERICA VIRTUE Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com

THE People’s National Party (PNP) yesterday unveiled its five-member Integrity Commission and announced that all its members of parliament and prospective candidates will be assessed by it to determine if they are fit and proper persons to represent the Opposition party.

PNP President Portia Simpson Miller, in her address to the gathering at the Alhambra Inn Hotel in Kingston, said the region’s oldest political party was actively confronting issues affecting the movement, and was taking definitive steps to solve them in the interest of the people it serves.

“The formation of an integrity commission is a critical element of the changes being made within the PNP. I assure you, this is neither a publicity stunt nor is it a baseless activity,” Simpson Miller said. “The qualities of the commissioners who have agreed to serve on the Integrity Commission attest to that.”

She said the decision required courage and resolve, because it is often easier to do things the comfortable way. But, she added, “this party knows that change will require that hard and sometimes unpopular decisions be taken. This party is determined to break out of the mould of ‘no better herring, no better barrel’”.

The independent members of the commission are chairman Bishop Wellesley Blair, actuary Daisy Coke, and former chair of the Public Services Commission and retired permanent secretary Cedric McCulloch. The political members are attorney-at-law Frederick Hamaty, and former Jamaica High Commissioner to London Burchell Whiteman, who is also a former government minister and senator.

Simpson Miller said the commission will not only focus on the people who offer themselves as representatives, but will assist in sifting out individuals sullied in the public domain from being selected for public office.

“It will also address the systems within the party which need to be honed, fixed, tweaked and where necessary overhauled. These transformational processes will be implemented to ensure that the People’s National Party provides quality leadership and governance for the people of Jamaica,” she said.

Dogged by the perception of corruption during its unbroken 18-year rule in Government starting in 1989, and opinion polls that have suggested that the party is not overly popular with the public despite the missteps of the current administration, the PNP has taken steps to act on the findings of a post-2007 general election analysis done by Professor Brian Meeks.

Among the concerns raised by comrades in the report was the view that too many individuals associated directly or indirectly with the party had become tainted in public life.

Yesterday, commission chairman Blair, brother of Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair, said if ever there was a time for integrity amongst the country’s leader, the time was now.

“It is therefore of great importance that there is a clear understanding of the word integrity,” he said. “The word can therefore be defined as that holistic concept that embodies transparency, honesty, probity, trustworthiness, values, attitudes, actions, methods, expectations and outcomes of a people operating within a particular system; especially those in leadership positions. Integrity, therefore, quite simply put, can be understood to be synonymous with trust. Both are essential for governance.”

Stating that “no one should be above and beyond scrutiny”, Blair said the commission was an independent body that would play an “advisory role to guide the party’s leadership in making decisions, and establishing principles that can improve both the internal operations of the party and their approaches to governance”.

Aspirants in the recently concluded selection process in North East St Elizabeth were all scrutinised by the commission, which will also be charged with developing a code of ethics of the party to replace the one currently in effect.

While the commission is charged with investigating and recommending, it will not be the final arbiter in deciding who is selected. Whiteman, who chaired the proceedings, said structures will be employed to deal with the public display of crude behaviour as was unveiled in the lead-up to the North East St Elizabeth contest.

BY HAROLD BAILEY Observer correspondent

NEW YORK, USA — With the matter of his legal representation now settled, former Tivoli Gardens don and accused drug and weapons dealer Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is now involved in intense preparations for his upcoming trial here.

Steve Zissou, one of two high-profile attorneys representing Coke, told the Observer in a weekend interview that prosecutors are still providing the defence with material, despite the expiration of a court-ordered date for this to be done.

He said, however, that “there is nothing unusual about this”, and that the defence team will be ready for Coke’s next scheduled court appearance on September 7, although more material evidence is to be turned over to the defence.

Without elaborating, Zissou said that “there is likely to be dispute over some of the material”.

He said that so far, there is nothing in the evidence provided — especially audio recordings — “that have any bearing on the allegations against Mr Coke”.

This seems to have bolstered the defence’s belief that they will be able to clear Coke.

“We will prevail at trial,” Zissou told the Observer.

Except for motions of a schedule and the possible setting of a trial date, Zissou said he does not expect a great deal to happen during Coke’s next court appearance.

Coke has been in custody here since June after being extradited on allegations of drugs and illegal weapons charges. Prosecutors here have maintained that “the evidence against Coke is compelling and creditable”.

The extradition proceedings, which spanned a nine-month period and caused a diplomatic stand-off between Jamaica and the United States, triggered civil unrest in a section of Kingston, the Jamaican capital, in May.

More than 70 persons, including a soldier, were killed when the security forces went into Coke’s heavily barricaded Tivoli Gardens stronghold in order to arrest him and to restore order after gunmen loyal to Coke had launched unprovoked attacks on police and soldiers.

Coke escaped during the May 24 operation but was captured on June 23. He waived his right to an extradition hearing and was flown to the US on June 24. (Jamaica Observer)

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Observer staff reporter

CARDIOLOGIST Dr Ernest Madu believes a number of Jamaica’s health and economic problems could be solved if proper infrastructure is put in place to establish a health tourism sector on the island.

Dr Madu, chief executive officer at the Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC), said that while health tourism is a booming trade for other countries, Jamaica is not benefiting from the millions of patients seeking health care outside of their countries.

“…The most booming trade now is health tourism, but they are not coming to Jamaica, and it’s not just because the crime is bad; if they come we have to give them what they need and what is the international standard,” he said.

Dr Madu, addressing reporters and editors at this week’s Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s head office in Kingston, said in order to meet the required standards in health care it would require money for the importation of medical equipment and trained specialists, particularly where it affects heart diseases.

“Jamaica doesn’t have it (infrastructure). America doesn’t have it. You buy the plane ticket and you go to India or you go to Thailand. So when you have places like India and Thailand projecting $3.5 billion by 2012 in terms of health tourist income, and then we know that nearly one million Americans left the shores of America last year to go overseas for health treatment, then we have to ask the question, why is it that we have not developed the facilities for them to come to Jamaica?” said Dr Madu.

He said, however, that once the infrastructure is put in place, the problem of access would then have to be addressed.

At the same time, he said that cardiovascular diseases can be treated in Jamaica for 10 per cent of the cost in Miami, United States, noting that the Heart Institute is able to treat most of the heart disease-related cases, but said more centres would have to be established.

“…We still have what I call an exploitative system where poor countries repatriate funds to rich countries because we have not been visionary enough to say we can do this,” said Dr Madu. “It’s easy for people to say they are trying to raise $120,000 to send somebody overseas for treatment, but I haven’t seen anybody saying they are trying to raise $12,000 to have the same person get the treatment in Jamaica.”

Persons who have taken the risk to set up medical facilities in Jamaica, he said, need to be supported. (Jamaica Observer)

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry, addresses RADA’s 20th anniversary church service on Sunday. The service was held at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St Ann. - JIS

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

The Reverend Desmond Smith has called for a month of fasting from imported food in a bid to encourage patronage of local produce and re-energise struggling farms.

Smith, who said he was an extension officer with the Ministry of Agriculture between 1964 and 1970, was addressing a thanks-giving service at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church as the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) marked its 20th anniversary on Sunday.

“We need to designate one month for fasting during which time we eat no imported food. Eat our stuff! We love too much foreign food, that’s why we are so fat!” he charged, taking a jab at the ballooning waistline of many Jamaicans.

“Fast so that we can save our nation; fast so that our spirituality can be lifted from the ground,” he urged.

Citing the need for a spiritual revival, the preacher also urged Prime Minister Bruce Golding to come clean on the Manatt issue.

“Mr Prime Minister, please tell us - who paid the money to Manatt? What’s been happening is setting back our nation. If you have to fire anybody, fire them quickly and let’s get on with (running the country),” the preacher said.

Significant strides

Meanwhile, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Donovan Stanberry, praised RADA for surviving despite 20 years of mainly budgetary challenges.

He said, however, that over the last two years, significant strides had been made.

“In recent times, we have made a concerted effort to rebuild RADA. We have doubled the technical core, we have diversified the reach and breadth of extension, in terms of marketing, livestock and so on.

“We have equipped our extension officers with the tools to do their work, placed technology at their fingertips. The investment we have made in RADA and the commitment of the staff has really paid dividends,” he later told The Gleaner.

Stanberry said RADA would continue to play a significant role in agricultural development in Jamaica.

Chairman of RADA, Patrick Lawrence, who gave an overview of the organisation, paid tribute to divine guidance.

“It’s really to give God thanks and recommit ourselves to ensure that we give the best to the agricultural communities and our farmers on a whole as we strive to ensure food security in Jamaica,” Lawrence said.

He said activities to mark the 20th anniversary would continue in September and December.

On September 22, there will be an agricultural symposium at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, and Farmers’ Appreciation Day in all parishes two days later.

At the appreciation day, farmers will be able to interact with RADA staff to strengthen camaraderie.

“It’s important in agriculture that while RADA is supposed to be giving the extension service, we also have to listen to our farmers, because they have been out there practising over the years, so we can learn a bit from them.

“We are hoping to sit down with them, have discussions and get some understanding and feedback on how they feel about RADA, and what else we can do to better our extension services,” Stanberry said.

The final event will be an awards banquet on December 16, at a venue to be announced.

RADA started operations in August 1990 with a mandate to promote agricultural production as the main engine of growth in rural communities. (Jamaica Gleaner)