Oil drilling in the area remains controversial due to an ongoing sovereignty dispute over the islands between Britain and Argentina.

The south American country has filed a domestic lawsuit against the drillers, saying their activities are illegal.

London-listed Falkland Oil and Gas (>> Falkland Oil and Gas Limited) said on Friday a problem with a blowout preventer (BOP) used in drilling for oil on the Isobel Deep well had forced a temporary suspension of the work.

"It is anticipated that the repairs to the BOP will take in the order of 10-14 days," the company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the drilling rig used on the project will move to the Chatham and/or Jayne East wells, the company said.

FOGL owns a 40 percent stake in the Isobel Deep discovery, while Premier Oil (>> Premier Oil PLC) holds a 36 percent share and Rockhopper (>> Rockhopper Exploration Plc) 24 percent.

(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; editing by Jason Neely)