In a report in Correio da Manhã, posted early this morning on the news service's website, Galp Energia is reported to have announced that it no longer is going to drill an exploratory hole in the search for oil and gas off the Costa Vincentian, about 50 kilometers from Aljezur on Portugal's south west coast.

The drilling licence deadline expires at the end of May and an ‘official source’ at the oil company assured the national newspaper that no drilling is planned before the end of this month.

The movement to free the Algarve of oil, MALP, is organising a vigil outside Loulé town hall for Friday May 26th

The anti-oil organisation is continuing to demand that the government changes its policy of doing everything possible to encourage the oil and gas exploration and extraction concession granted to Galp-ENI for an area off the coast of Aljezur.

ASMAA today announced it is finalising a new campaign in the Algarve and Alentejo in the run up to the municipal elections to ensure that the subject of 'Oil and Gas Exploration' is placed on the election agenda as a focal point.

The local council elections are to take place on October 1st this year and ASMAA believes it is important to encourage informed voting by highlighting the position of each candidate and party on the development of an oil industry in Portugal which remains the policy of the government despite massive public opposition, especially from the southern regions.

Portugal’s parliament voted on Thursday, May 1th, to continue the with highly controversial oil and gas exploration concessions.

For anti-oil group Climáximo, the vote revealed ‘a lack of knowledge and a contempt for the future’ as further exploration concessions can be granted in addition to allowing Galp-ENI free reign to drill an exploratory well off the Aljezur coastline.

Portugal’s MPs today are scheduled to debate a proposal from the Left Bloc and PAN (People Animals Nature) which, if approved, will call a halt to new oil and gas exploration concessions and licences in Portugal.

The proposal will be voted on on Thursday after a full debate in the parliamentary session.

PALP, the Algarve Free of Petroleum Platform, has lodged an "administrative legal action challenging the act that allows the Galp-ENI consortium to carry out exploration drilling" off Aljezur.

PALP’s action follows the first injunction against the TUPEM licence which was lodged by Odemira council just over two weeks ago (See report HERE).

On May 2nd,  a Portuguese court accepted the anti-oil drilling injunction application that had been submitted by Odemira council two weeks prior.

The court acknowledged that the submission “had valid arguments” and therefore has accepted it in full, thus suspending the oil drilling plans of Galp-ENI.

Portugal's part in the World Climate March ensured the streets were filled in Lisbon, Oporto and Aljezur on Saturday with citizens showing the government that the fight against climate change is not at all compatible with the State's current lust for a home-grown fossil fuel exloration programme.

Demonstrators and environmental NGOs are critical of the Government for the consistently making "wrong decisions" over its energy policy wuth João Camargo of the Climáximo movement stating that the environment is an area in which the government is performing badly.