So the Bahamas have sold their soul to the oil industry. Shame On You! So you say it's only an exploratory well you're drilling. So was the Deep Water Horizon drill well in the Gulf of Mexico almost 10 years ago that killed 10 workers and devastated the Gulf. The Bahamas have far too much to lose and very little to gain by selling out to the oil industry. Follow the money and you will find the truth as to why this dirty and dangerous business is being allowed to set up shop in your beautiful island nation. Mr. Hartnell this might be the most bias reporting I've ever seen. Are you a tool of the oil industry as well?

Had education been a priority in this nation's past, the people of The Bahamas would be in the streets demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment on this matter alone. Instead, in the coming years, sooner than later, the wealthy, the politicians and the CEO of BPC will be the first to leave these islands for higher ground. The vast majority of Bahamians will be on their own. Having been promised their pie in the sky Sovereign Wealth Fund, only to find mere pennies in the account. It is amazing how bankrupt we will be then; Monetarily bankrupt, Intellectually bankrupt, morally bankrupt. With not a thought to those who come after us. I can think of no more irresponsible act in the history of The Bahamas than drilling for oil here. One of the saddest commentaries on how Bahamians feel about, and are treating this miraculous chain of islands and pristine waters; with such disrespect..

You're absolutely right. And we have none other than Minnis to thank as a greedy desperate buffoon with tiny (rat size) balls.

Minnis is personally to blame for putting our environment at grave risk from BPC's exploratory drilling activities. He should have long ago put the brakes on this exploratory drilling foolishness by BPC, a small two-bit penny stock company. BPC is not a BP (British Petroleum), Chevron, Exxon-Mobile, Royal Dutch Shell or other similar multi-billion dollar global oil conglomerate that the Bahamas could at least seek financial restitution from in the event of a major environmental disaster like the Deep Water Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hell, BPC is nothing but a small venture capital company with zero drilling expertise and experience of its own and with limited resources to hire the right kind of experienced expertise and pay for adequate insurance coverage in the event of a major polluting incident. Minnis probably knows nothing about the insurance arrangements his office (the Office of the PM) should have insisted be put in place by BPC with the Government of The Bahamas named as loss payee. Because BPC can't afford the high insurance premiums associated with its high risk operations, the insurance coverage amounts are likely to be wholly inadequate in any event.

Wasn't consecutive government comrades not alarmed sufficiently - after the Horizon deep water blowout spillage of **millions of barrels of oil** into waters contiguous to the colony's waters. The potential consequences from sludge oil drilling to colony's vital tourism.No set leaders must **never** be allowed to place such a destructive risk anywhere in o about our waters.

It would put the Bahamian economy into total depression for years and collapse the dollar peg and put everyone in financial ruination if there was a spill. Mexico had a giant spill, the US did years ago too, and even Canada did too! There is no chance we could outperform the regulation and inspection regimes of all of them and have nor risk.

Where is the confirmation we have pulled out of the Paris Agreement on Climate which would allow for us to increase fossil fuel use/production and start oil drilling? Can someone point me to the ink where this exit of Paris has been officially communicated?

Excellent news- good luck BPC.

There is oil in the Bahamas, definitely. The old folks know how it’s there. We just don’t know how many billion barrels we will be producing in a few years time.

It will be nice to find out in May.

A commercially viable oil find could transform the Bahamian economy. All around other Caribbean countries are exploring/producing oil- Do you really want to sit and watch?
Revenue used wisely can promote green energy usage, education and better health care for generations.
Stop moaning and take advantage of BPC and it's investors who will be paying all the costs!

Paying all the costs. You are completely ignorant of economics. Every person on earth pays the cost of our deadly fossil fuel use now. In health, in economic subsidies, in dealing with the disasters, both short and long term. Were the investors the only ones who paid for the Horizon oil spill? Or was it all life forms and the economy of the Gulf Coast? Are you so ignorant , selfish and greedy that you can't even acknowledge the basics?
Or, is there more to your interest in this intellectual failure of our nation?

Good luck thinking you will ever benefit in any way from the activities of BPC. You're better off continuing to give away your money to that web shop thug, Sebas Bastian.

Oil sure did wonders for the Venezuela economy didn't it?

How about we watch from pristine beaches and enjoy a tourist economy and we skip the alternate hell of oil soaked beaches and a ruined economy. Deal?

Norway has Sovereign Wealth Fund and Bahamas is modelled on that.
Norwegians are the most wealthy in Europe because of it and no probs with oil production, it is being produced safely there and Bahamas now has the most modern safety Regs in the world

With a small population everyone will be the richer if there is oil next to Cuba

All the Islands power stations can be replaced with Green, Homes and businesses can all get solar fitted from the Fund and have free electricity

Oil is used for many things than Energy, 54 percent of oil is used to make most over-the-counter medicines, various cleaning products, some rubber, tons of cosmetics, many lubricants and most of the world's asphalt.

Comparing the Bahamas to Norway is a laughable stretch of anyone's most deranged imagination. Dream on my friend! LMAO

Also, we have something called hurricanes, which make oil drilling an accident waiting to happen.

This FNM have left me speechless. By far the most disappointing government administration this country has ever seen. Not even close.

If anyone remembers, the Bahamian people were promised a referendum on oild drilling. However, the FNMs decided we don't deserve a vote and to unilaterally decide the fate of our country.

The Norwegian comrades see their government as both a market driven and a **planned** economy. I asks, **what exactly can be pointed to as having been either a **market driven or planned, executed or functionally operational* economy - by, or under this - or the previous - governing administrations? Reads more like two same dysfunctional peas in a pod.How is the government's buying and running of the Grand Lucayan Hotel - or the rental of an entire empty of paying guests floors of a hotel's rooms - be seen as a market driven and planned economy- then the very same government decides to bail out **another** hurricane damaged property owned by the same Whampoa that not only pocketed the insurance payout monies but kept all the rolls of toilet papers - unopened and open rolls toilet papers - just before the idiots running our government - took possession of the still left hurricane unrepaired hotel. Can't write this stuff.Just, **can't.**

The government should be held to account and ensure the revenues will be used properly. It could transform the economy, but it can also be wasted. The sovereign fund seems promising, lets see if they will use it for the people.

Only place in the world this ever worked was Norway. Odds we will follow Norway versus odds we follow all the others and almost none of it ever sees the common man? Pretty near 100%

FACT: All oil wells leak.

This is just plain old greed driven insanity, only a few foreigners will benefit (If they ever find oil) and some political cronies will pocket som scraps.

The Bahamas needs leaders who think ahead, use developing technologies wisely and think out of the box, but all we have is brain dead dinosaurs making all the same mistakes they always have.

I see some people blaming Minnis, he is but one in a parade of fools who have led to this day, every administration since th contract to allow exploratory drilling was signed has extended it beyond every deadline it failed to reach. All hold responsibility for where we are today.

Anyone who believes The Bahamas (Bahamian citizens) will truly benefit are deluded. Further we stand to lose far more than we will gain from this, things that money cannot replace,