Jamaica could be just months away from knowing whether oil and gas lie beneath its waters, with Energy Minister Daryl Vaz revealing that results from the country’s offshore seabed survey are expected within the next two to three months.
Speaking at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Vaz gave a detailed update on the survey carried out by United Oil and Gas, which was completed on February 28 after 34 days of operations — with no safety incidents, no environmental accidents, and no conflicts with local fisherfolk.
During the survey, more than 1,100 line kilometres of seafloor mapping data were collected using advanced multibeam technology. Heat flow measurements were also taken to study underground temperature patterns, and rock core samples were extracted from 42 locations across the Walton and Morant basins — the two offshore areas believed to hold the greatest potential for oil and gas deposits.
Those core samples have since been shipped to a laboratory in the United States, where scientists will conduct detailed analysis to determine whether hydrocarbons — oil and gas — are present beneath Jamaica’s seabed.
Vaz was clear that the survey is about gathering facts, not rushing into extraction. He said the data collected is world-class and will guide evidence-based decisions about Jamaica’s energy future. The government, he stressed, is committed to a responsible, science-led approach — one where exploration is guided by data and any future decisions are made in the best interest of the Jamaican people.
Results are expected to become available between May and June 2026.
