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Brief history of the country
Antigua & Barbuda consists of the 2 inhabited islands and a number of smaller islands (including Great Bird, Green, Guinea, Long, Maiden and York Islands and, further south, Redonda).
The country lies in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles within the Caribbean Sea, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus but was first settled by Amerindians (called the Siboney) before 3000 BC.
Later the Arawaks introduced agriculture which were replaced by the Caribs in around 1100 AD. Most of these indigenous people died of diseases introduced by Europeans and of malnutrition.
The British then ruled almost exclusively from 1632 to 1981,when the islands achieved independence from the UK. Slavery was established to run sugar plantations in around 1684 and was abolished in 1834.
Tourism now dominates the economy of Antigua & Barbuda although reduced tourist activity since 2000 has slowed growth. Investment banking and financial services are also important.
Barbuda was seriously damaged by hurricane Irma in 2017.
Oil and gas summary
Antigua & Barbuda are low-lying islands comprising volcanics and associated limestone reefs. The highest point on Antigua (Mount Obama) is the remnant of a volcanic crater. The islands are rimmed by reefs and shoals.
This geology is not suitable for the generation and accumulation of commercial volumes of oil and gas.
Antigua & Barbuda has no identified indigenous oil or gas resources, either onshore or offshore, and Globalshift believes it is unlikely to achieve any production in the future.
There is no history of production and no exploration wells have ever been drilled on land or in its surrounding waters.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
Map and National Flag
CENTRAL AMERICA
Forest glade
Central America
Capital
Population
Land area (sq kms)
Oil prod (000s b/d)
Gas prod (bcm/yr)
Oil cons (000s b/d)
Gas cons (bcm/yr)
St. John’s
0.09 mm
96
None
None
4.2
None
Government
Antigua & Barbuda is a parliamentary, democratic monarchy, in which the Head of State is the British Monarch who appoints a Governor General as representative.
A Council of Ministers is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. A bicameral Parliament consists of a 17-member Senate and House of Representatives.
There is no department of government responsible for oil and gas resources.