VOA标准英语2009年-Oil Discovered Off Sierra Leone

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
17 September 2009

A U.S. oil company has found what could be commercially viable¹ reserves of oil off the coast of Sierra Leone.

The first ever deep-water test well in the Sierra Leone-Liberia basin struck a deposit of hydrocarbons³ more than 12,000 feet below the bottom of the ocean.

The discovery was made by the U.S. oil exploration and production company Anadarko Petroleum⁴. Al Walker is Anadarko's Chief Operations Officer.

"We are very excited about the results of this frontier exploration well and its significant impact on our West African exploration program," said Al Walker.

Anadarko scientists are still analyzing⁵ data from this strike in the Venus field off the coast of Sierra Leone. They are looking at existing seismic⁶ models to determine whether the site itself is commercially viable or whether it is simply a positive indicator⁷ for the rest of the field.

Either way, Anadarko vice⁸ president for international exploration Frank Paterson says the discovery will certainly drive additional activity off Sierra Leone.

"We think it's fantastic that we got a lot of our initial questions answered - the hydrocarbon² system, the sand system - and now it is a matter of using that calibration point as we go forward," said Frank Paterson.

Sierra Leone Information Minister Ibrahim Ben-Kargbo says the government in Freetown is pleased by the discovery but wants to hear more from Anadarko about additional test results.

"They are very certain that there is oil, but of course they have asked us to be cautious because they want to be very certain that the oil is in commercial quantities," said Ben-Kargbo.

Anadarko figured its chances of finding hydrocarbons in its first test well were less than 25 percent. Senior vice president for worldwide exploration Bob Daniels says striking a deposit that measures at least 45 feet could mean far richer finds to come.

"The information we got from this well, all of it is very positive for the exploration efforts in the Liberian and the Ivorian basin," said Bob Daniels. "That includes the sand systems, it includes the petroleum systems, the thermal⁹ maturity¹⁰, the migration¹¹. Everything that we hoped to find in here was very positive."

Anadarko is the same firm that discovered oil in Ghana's Jubilee¹² field. That first offshore¹³ site alone could generate $20 billion by 2030. And Ghanian President John Atta Mills says he wants to make sure that wealth does not lead to the corruption¹⁴ and environmental damage that is troubling regional oil giant Nigeria.

Information Minister Ben-Kargbo says Sierra Leone is also mindful of properly managing any potential oil boom, especially given how much of the country's diamond wealth was lost to years of civil war.

"If it really becomes the case that Sierra Leone becomes an oil-producing country, we are going to put in place the structures for accountability and transparency," he said. "And we will never again make the mistakes we made when we squandered¹⁵ the wealth that should have accrued¹⁶ from diamonds in this country."

Anadarko is exploring for oil across more than eight million acres of West African ocean floor off Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Gabon.

Its next scheduled deep-water test well is in the South Grand Lahou field off Ivory Coast.

 

1 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

2 hydrocarbon   

n.烃，碳氢化合物

参考例句：

• During incomplete combustion some of the hydrocarbon fuel is cracked.在不完全的燃烧中，一些烃燃料裂解。
• The hydrocarbon must be an alkene.这个碳氢化合物必定是烯烃。

3 hydrocarbons   

n.碳氢化合物，烃( hydrocarbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hydrocarbons (HC), like carbon monoxide, represent unburned and wasted fuel. 碳氢化合物(HC)像一氧化碳一样，为未燃尽的和被浪费掉的燃料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• With this restricted frequency range it is not applicable to hydrocarbons. 这个较紧缩的频率范围不适用于烃类。 来自辞典例句

4 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

5 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

6 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

7 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

10 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

11 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

12 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

13 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）

16 accrued   

adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累

参考例句：

• The company had accrued debts of over 1000 yuan. 该公司已积欠了1000多万元的债务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have accrued a set of commemoration stamps. 我已收集一套纪念邮票。 来自《简明英汉词典》