Teknik Perdana leaves Venezuela

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

A seismic research vessel that was working in a Guyanese offshore concession when it was arrested one week ago by the Venezuelan Navy departed that country Friday evening.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the R/V Teknik Perdana sailed this evening from Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.

Its Ukrainian captain is expected to return to court to answer charges related to the violation of Venezuela’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Departure of the Malaysian-owned vessel with a 36-member multinational crew came one day after the Foreign Ministers of the neighbouring South American countries agreed that a technical team would meet within four months to exchange views on how the delimitation of the maritime boundary could proceed in keeping with international law.

RV Teknik Perdana was conducting a multi-beam survey of the seafloor in a concession in the Roraima Block awarded by Guyana to the United States-based oil exploration company, Anadarko.
Both countries claim that the ship was in their Exclusive Economic Zone off the Essequibo Region.

The Essequibo is the subject of a land border controversy that is being handled by the United Nations Secretary General through his Good Officer.