On November 24, theAustralian Studies Centre (ASC) at Universidad ORT Uruguay ORT) will be inaugurated. Noel Campbell, the Australian Ambassador to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and Shannon Powell, Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (Andean Latin America), will attend the event.
The ORT-ASC is an academic institute dedicated to the study of Australian history, politics, international relations, economics, business, society, education, culture, and literature. The Center aims to strengthen ties between Australia and the region, particularly with Uruguay, and is entirely interdisciplinary in its structure and activities. The ORT-ASC welcomes collaboration with researchers, students, and academics in any field of study in Australia, helping to cement intellectual ties between the two regions.
The Center is initially funded by Petrel Energy and Universidad ORT Uruguay receives support from the Australian Embassy in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the Uruguayan Embassy in Australia, Austrade, and the Uruguay-Australia Chamber of Commerce.
We interviewed David Casey, Petrel’s Managing Director, to learn what motivated his company to support the establishment of the first Australian Studies Center in Latin America, located in Uruguay.
Why is Petrel Energy making the initial and largest contribution to the establishment of an Australian Studies Center in Uruguay?
Given that our industry is constantly at the forefront of technological advances, it is important to recognize that education is critical to this ongoing process, and we see this as one way—an initial step—to supporting this exchange of information in Uruguay. For this to be successful, cooperation is needed at many levels, and we see a study center of this kind as an initial way to contribute to this process. Although Petrel is an Australian company, we believe it is essential to be part of the community and ensure that we contribute in areas beyond our specific industry.
What assets does Petrel Energy hold in Uruguay?
Petrel Energy holds extensive oil and gas exploration leases in Uruguay and is about to launch a four-well drilling programme assess the region for commercial resources.
Uruguay is eager to discover new oil and gas resources, as the country is a major energy importer, which has a significant impact on its balance of payments. Petrel Chairman Alex Sundich said in a recent statement to the ASX that Petrel is “seeking to confirm the significant oil and gas upside in the company’s Uruguay acreage, as evidenced by the company’s independently certified oil and gas resources. The primary objectives of the drilling programme be to test source rock quality and extent—i.e., ‘resource upside’—and conventional reservoir quality and extent.”
“Importantly, although this is not the primary objective, we are also fortunate that three of the four wells currently being drilled are targeting structures identified by seismic data that show potential for oil and gas trapped either within the same sequence or up-dip from oil shows and/or oil seeping from core samples, while the fourth is targeting a significant AVO gas anomaly.”
What is your view on the relevance and importance of an Australian Studies Center at Universidad ORT Uruguay?
Petrel Energy’s vision is to successfully explore for and potentially develop commercial oil and gas assets in Uruguay. Petrel is proud to be the founding contributor to the Australian Studies Centre in Uruguay, which provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at Universidad ORT Uruguay to develop a deeper mutual understanding of the social, political, and economic issues between Australia and Uruguay.
What is the purpose of the Australian Studies Center?
The Australian Studies Center, which is being established in Uruguay and supported by Petrel Energy Ltd with an initial donation of USD$50,000, aims to organize academic activities on Australian topics and their relationship with the region, with the participation of Australian academics and speakers; promote faculty and student exchange programs between the two countries; develop courses on key areas of study that are relevant to both Australia and Uruguay; carry out comparative research projects between Australia and the region; and collaborate with the activities of the Uruguay-Australia Chamber, the Australian Embassy, and the Uruguayan Embassy in Australia.
How are these closer ties between Australia and Uruguay being developed?
Diplomatic, business, and political ties between the two countries are growing. The Governor General of Australia, The Honorable Sir Peter Cosgrove, recently visited Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where he met with the President and received the keys to the city from Mayor Daniel Martinez in recognition of the growing relationship between the two countries. This was the first visit to Uruguay by an Australian Governor General. Mr. Cosgrove said that Petrel Energy’s support of the Australian Studies Centre will contribute to a better understanding between the two countries, and pledged to promote the construction of a public school named after Uruguay upon his return to Australia.
What is Petrel Energy's role in fostering these growing ties between the two countries?
Petrel Energy has strong ties in Uruguay. We view our support for the ORT Australian Studies Centre as a concrete way to demonstrate our support for the country and a sign of our commitment to building a strong business for the future in Uruguay. Petrel also supports initiatives in Australia that foster closer ties with Uruguay and is a Patron member of the Australian-Latin American Business Council (ALABC).