Penguin News FALKLAND ISLANDS Ross Road, Stanley, Falkland Islands • Tel: 22684 Fax: 22238 • [email protected] • www.penguin-news.com • Every Friday V19. No 19 Price £1.00 Friday, September 14, 2007 Gold company to end The way of the future... Falklands exploration THE company which has been lot of other experts to check we prospecting for gold in the haven’t missed anything but the Falklands looks set to close its fact is that the deposit is just too operation at the end of the year. small...” Falklands Gold and Minerals He added, “I’m sad my visit Ltd (FGML) says no deposits of to the Falklands next month will economic interest have yet been be my last, unless something is found and, unless the remaining found between now and work programme identifies Christmas.” deposits likely to be of He said doing business in the commercial interest, it will cease Falklands had been, “very exploration activities in the comfortable, particularly Islands. compared to other parts of the The work programme in the world in which we have worked.” Falklands was designed to He paid tribute to the farmers identify the source of alluvial gold with whom FGML has worked recovered from streams. This gold and to the “super administration” is associated with a zone of tight, run by Director of Minerals, Phyl east-west folding which has Rendell. affected the Bluff Cove and Port Mr Linnell said the Falklands Sussex formations amongst other exploration had been far from a rock sequences. waste of time. When the company The company says these ceases work here it will have cash formations contain favourable balances of approximately £3.5 interbedded shales and sandstone million and an experienced units that could, given the correct exploration team fully equipped structural taps, be favourable with two drills and sample targets for Slate Belt type gold processing equipment. and in particular ‘Saddle Reef’ He added, “I believe we have styled mineralisation. The saddle also added to the economic value reefs are being investigated but of Goose Green and increased the FGML believes that these are international profile of the unlikely to generate ore bodies of Falkland Islands.” economic size. The Board of FGML now Speaking from his home in intends to seek opportunities South Africa, FGML Chairman elsewhere in the world and says it Richard Linnell said he was has initially identified “gold, “disappointed” nothing of molybdenum and uranium” as the interest had been found. He metals most likely of interest. commented, “We’ve spoken to a ALTHOUGH it is only currently running at a third of its capacity, the Sand Bay Wind Farm has already cut down the government’s fuel spending by 800 to 1,000 litres each day. UK policemen to ‘mentor’ local officers The third and final turbine in this first phase of the wind THREE retired police officers are due to arrive in the Islands on farm came on line on August 30. More on page 2. from the UK are to spend three September 21 have 76 years’ months in the Falklands “training policing experience between them and mentoring” local officers. and will, “...support the existing Millions for new ferry terminals? The move is an initiative of staff, help with the training of THE cost of the terminals for the of estimates of ferry terminal Inspector Len McGill with the new officers and help the force new ferry service has yet to be construction costs.” support of the Chief Executive, get on its feet. revealed by the government. As for a rumour about the new the new Chief of Police said this “It’s a short term measure to Estimations in excess of £1 coastal shipping vessel, week. try and provide tutorship, million for each of the two Concordia Bay, becoming Superintendent Paul Elliot mentorship and training...” terminals have been hinted at, but ‘swamped’ during sea trials, a explained that the officers, who the Chairman of the Transport spokesperson for Workboat Advisory Committee, Councillor Services Ltd dismissed this as Mike Rendell, would not be “fantasy.” What’s on this weekend? drawn. She commented, “The Craft Fair He commented, “It would be Concordia Bay is undergoing the Falkland Islands Community School, Saturday and Sunday more appropriate to await the alterations required to comply Have a Go Day outcome of Executive Council and with FIG passenger and other Fire and Rescue Service, Saturday (register today!) Standing Finance Committee requirements and will be for before making public the details several more months.” Page 2 Penguin News, September 14, 2007 Penguin News Green projects show results RUNNING at just a third of its have not been any fuel deliveries Comment by Deputy Editor, Sharon Jaffray capacity, the wind farm is already to the Community School since creating substantial savings on fuel February, while the hospital has I WONDER how many people felt, like me, a sense of horror upon consumption at the Power Station. used only 19% of its normal fuel learning that a couple of the youngsters involved recently in a serious Giving an update on progress consumption which would realise single vehicle accident were not wearing their seat belts. with the project managed by Ger- a saving of £124,000 per annum if On more occasions in the last three years than anyone wishes to man company Enercon, Council- sustained. The payback period on remember the community has been rocked by the loss of young lives, lor Richard Cockwell said the three this project is expected to be be- arguably for this very reason. I’m sure every parent in the Islands feels turbines at Sand Bay had come on tween two and three years. a sense of dread when the news of a road accident reaches them and, line throughout August. While Cllr Summers said that this they are currently each limited to could be affected by the efficiency with more and more youngsters being able to afford or have access to 100 kilowatt output until full au- powerful 4x4 vehicles, it seems to be a more common occurrence. of the wind farm, with less fuel tomation is installed, they are pro- being burned to produce heat. It is in the nature of young people to want to experience adventure ducing 23% of the electricity used In answer to a question from in every way possible and nothing has changed in that respect in the at night and 13% of the daytime the floor, Cllr Cockwell said plans last thousand years. Several decades ago my age group were hooning consumption. to bring Thatcher Drive and pos- around in vehicles too, however they were vehicles that you could just This alone, said Cllr Cockwell, sibly St Mary’s Walk onto the heat about coax 40mph out of downhill with the wind behind you and the is saving 800 to 1,000 litres of fuel recovery system have been dis- extreme challenge was more who could drive around town successfully per day which equates to £150 - cussed. in a Land Rover IIA without using the clutch (no mean feat with a 200,000 per annum. One member of the public asked gearbox only synchromesh between third and fourth, believe me!) or He said these figures are an if the lower fuel use would have an negotiate Long Island mountain without getting bogged. early and conservative estimation effect on the Stanley Services Ltd What will it take to get through to these young (and, disappoint- of savings, based on data from a (SSL) fuel price and worried there ingly, some not so young) drivers, that the powerful machines they are very short period of time and a could be an increase passed on to driving are not merely expensive toys but potential death traps par- full assessment will be made when the public. ticularly on roads where conditions can change dramatically with the the wind farm has been running at Cllr Summers assured this regularity of our weather? full capacity for 12-18 months. would not happen, as the fuel for- There has been no effect to the mula is not based on volume, add- If you are involved in an accident, a seatbelt can give you a fighting power supply in town while work ing that SSL were aware of fuel chance. The law is not in place to make life difficult, it is simply there has been ongoing with the tur- reductions at the Power Station and for our own safety and that of the passengers we carry. bines, said Cllr Cockwell who ex- are themselves experimenting with If it helps, when you get in your vehicle just think of that whingeing plained that they are operating on energy saving systems in the form old bird down at Penguin News... and belt up! a trial safe system where any of solar panels, which are reported anomaly will cause the turbines to to have been used successfully at back off completely to prevent any Malvina House Hotel. THE PEOPLE behind the most exciting new project the Islands have spikes in the power. This will not Glass imploders seen in years deserve an accolade. The wind farm is now supplying be the case once the automation is PWD Maintenance Manager clean, green electricity and hopefully signals a new direction for the completed, he said. George Burroughs reported that in Islands’ approach to looking after the environment. The capital cost for the wind the first four days of the imploder With what I feel was far too little fanfare, the wind farm quickly farm project is expected to be re- being in use to the rear of the Town appeared on the horizon and now significantly less fossil fuels are couped over eight years, however Hall almost a ton of cullet has been being consumed; instead, the one commodity we have in excess is being Cllr Mike Summers said that all removed.