Ireland's oil and gas industry

[JD47]

Originally Posted by Catmalojin

A bridge (or tunnel) between Ireland and Britain will continue to be economically non-viable so no way should money ever be wasted on even considering it. Also, governments shouldn't (normally ) be in the business of developing buildings, including skyscrapers.

I agree with belfastuniguy when he says projects should benefit Ireland in the long-term. This would involve things such as infrastructure projects with a good chance of a return on investment (things like Metro North, DART Underground, Dublin's Eastern bypass, super-fast broadband nationwide, etc.), and using an increased tax take to improve funding in education (in particular) and healthcare. However, to say that income inequality and poverty in the Republic are 'shocking' seems to ignore the fact that, according to Eurostat, things such as Gini coefficient, inequality of income distribution (S80/S20 quintile ratio), at-risk poverty rates (after social transfers; though not before which is pretty crucial), are better in Ireland than the EU average, and also better than in the UK as well. Of course, things can always be better.

Of course, all of this remains unlikely as we haven't found a single drop of oil yet. Even our gas finds have been minuscule in comparison to Norway's, for example.

Yes I know none of that will happen anytime soon. All I ment by it was it would be good to have. You are right in saying that the money needs to go on keeping Ireland financially secure for years to come but if there was any money left I would invest in these projects.

[Catmalojin]

The fracking debate continues:

Labour TD calls for ban on fracking pending reports

PAT FLYNN

Wed, Jan 11, 2012

MINISTER FOR Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, has come under pressure from a fellow Labour Party TD to halt the controversial practice of fracking until further reports on the safety of the system are conducted.

Clare Labour TD Michael McNamara called for a moratorium to be introduced nationally.

Clare County Council became the first local authority to agree to make provisions in its county development plan for a ban on fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, a technique used to extract natural gas from shale.

UK-based Enegi Oil has already secured a licence from the Department of Energy to carry out exploratory work on an area of about 1,282sq km (495sq miles) to establish its potential for a commercially viable deposit of shale natural gas.

Mr McNamara said: “I am very concerned that fracking . . . could in the future be carried out in Clare, a concern which is shared by many members of the Labour Party. I would, therefore, propose that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture, of which I am a member, recommend a national moratorium on fracking until it has received and considered the results of an extensive study on the environmental implications of hydraulic fracturing . . .

“While licensing options were awarded by the previous government in 2011, these are preliminary authorisations and are designed only to allow the companies assess the natural gas potential of the acreage largely based on desktop studies of existing data. Exploration drilling, including drilling that would involve hydraulic fracturing, is specifically excluded under these licensing options,” he said.

“The Minister for Communications and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, has provided assurances to me that in the event that any of the companies involved decide to apply for an exploration licence that proposed the use of hydraulic fracturing, the application would have to be set out in detail and be supported by an environmental impact statement . . .

“The department would also consult with other relevant statutory authorities . . . before reaching any decision,” he added.

© 2012 The Irish Times

[thebig C]

Originally Posted by RM6721

10 billion barrels?

It can't be that hard to find?

That is what is known as a "back of an envelope calculation"!!

Basically, they are calculating the volume of Irelands undersea territory and then estimating what the unexplored portions of that area COULD hold, IF they contained oil! Which is very different from saying that 10 billion barrels actually exist:P

C

[Catmalojin]

Not in Ireland, but relating to an Irish company:

Providence given UK exploration licence
Updated: 15:12, Thursday, 12 January 2012

Exploration company Providence Resources has been offered an exploration licence for an area in the St George's Channel off the Welsh coast.

Providence's UK subsidiary PR Singleton will be the operator of the block, called 103/1, and will have a 50% stake. Star Energy Oil & Gas will hold the remaining 50%. The block contains the Dragon gas discovery.

Providence chief executive Tony O'Reilly said the block was adjacent to Irish licence SEL 1/07 which Providence operates 100%.

"The Dragon gas discovery is mapped to lie within both the UK and Irish sectors and the award of this new block will allow Providence to move forward with the drilling of its planned appraisal well," he said.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0112/pro...-business.html

[Catmalojin]

Call for inquiry into oil drilling off Dalkey Island

FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor

Fri, Jan 20, 2012

THE GREEN Party has called on Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to hold a public inquiry into plans to carry out a seismic survey and drill for oil off Dalkey Island near Dalkey, Co Dublin.

Dublin-based Providence Resources, which is run by Tony O’Reilly jnr, and Star Energy Oil and Gas Ltd, hold an option over eight “blocks” in the Kish Bank Basin and are now seeking a foreshore licence to establish whether oil or gas is present in commercial quantities.

But Green Party spokesman on planning Tom Kivlehan said: “There are huge concerns among the people of Dublin about the proposed application and they feel that the process does not afford them the opportunity to have their questions and worries answered.”

Given that Dublin Bay is such an environmentally sensitive area, he said only a public inquiry could address their fears.

“We have seen the consequences of poor public consultation in respect of the Corrib gas field and we should learn the lessons from it,” Mr Kivlehan added.

He said the Minister had the power to order a public inquiry into Providence’s application under section 3 of the 1933 Foreshore Act and should now do so “as quickly as possible”.

The foreshore application is currently available for inspection at Dalkey Garda station, with February 2nd as the closing date for submissions.

It is believed An Taisce and Birdwatch Ireland will be making their views known, along with Dalkey Community Council.

The foreshore licence being sought by Providence and its Malaysian partners is for a seismic survey, a site survey and exploration drilling.

If awarded, the initial surveys would “likely take in the region of 15 days, followed by 30 to 60 days for drilling” within six months.

“All of the activities to be undertaken will be at a significant distance from any designated areas of environmental or ecological interest, with the nearest special protection area for birds 8km away and the nearest special area of conservation 7km away,” they say.

“Rigorous environmental and health and safety standards form a vital part of the company’s ethos and, as part of this application, detailed proposals on environmental mitigation measures and safety procedures have been submitted to the Department of Environment,” the companies added.

These included an oil spill contingency plan. Full details of the foreshore licence application are available online at iti.ms/zVV3By.

© 2012 The Irish Times

Here's the area covered:



There's a larger version available here.

[Catmalojin]

FFS.

The 9 at 9: Sunday

5. #SHELL TO SEA: The Shell To Sea action group is planning to come to Dalkey in Dublin to join a protest against a proposed oil rig off the coast of the affluent suburb. The Sunday Times reports that the campaigners will offer advice and support to locals who oppose plans to drill for oil off Dalkey Island.

TheJournal.ie

[thebig C]

Christ!! Annoyed but not surprised. Shell2Sea are made up in large part by leftwing rent-a-mobs who are present at every demonstration.

[Catmalojin]

Some more news on Dalkey:

Public meeting to be held over oil drilling off Dalkey Island

OLIVIA KELLY

Mon, Jan 23, 2012

A PUBLIC meeting will be held in Dalkey, Co Dublin, tomorrow night to consider plans for oil and gas exploration which would involve drilling in the sea off Dalkey Island.

The meeting has been organised by Protect Our Coast, a group opposing the application by Providence Resources for a foreshore licence to search for oil or gas about 6km out to sea in an area known as the Kish Bank Basin.

The firm, run by Tony O’Reilly jnr and Star Energy Oil and Gas Ltd, which holds an option over eight blocks in the Kish Bank Basin, is seeking the licence to establish whether oil or gas is present in commercial quantities.

The foreshore application is currently available for inspection at Dalkey Garda station, with February 2nd as the closing date for submissions. The opposition group is urging people to petition Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to refuse the licence.

The group said the potential for “environmental and human catastrophe” associated with an oil spill was too great to allow the project to go ahead.

Environmental concerns were of particular relevance to this application, the group said, as Dublin Bay and Dalkey Island had been designated as special protection areas by the Department of the Environment under EU regulations.

“There is an abundance of wildlife attached to this area, including several endangered species such as humpback and fin whales and the sooty shearwater and razorbill avifauna,” the group said. “ Notwithstanding any spillage, there is in any case considerable toxic chemical effluent from offshore drills.”

A spokesman for the company said it was committed to “rigorous environmental and health and safety standards” and that detailed proposals on environmental mitigation measures and safety procedures had been submitted as part of the foreshore licence application.

“To date there have been no major oil spills associated with this type of exploratory activity offshore Ireland,” he said, but submission of an oil spill contingency plan for “every possible eventuality” was part of the licensing requirements.

He added that the exploration process was still in its early stages and further licensing and permitting would be required if the survey and exploratory drill revealed commercial potential.

Green Party planning spokesman Tom Kivlehan has called on Mr Hogan to establish a public inquiry into the proposal.

“What happened in relation to the Corrib gas field shows the mess that can be created if you don’t get public consultation right.

“There are a million people at the front door of this project so it is essential that there is a proper public inquiry.”

© 2012 The Irish Times

[RM6721]

Originally Posted by thebig C

That is what is known as a "back of an envelope calculation"!!

Basically, they are calculating the volume of Irelands undersea territory and then estimating what the unexplored portions of that area COULD hold, IF they contained oil! Which is very different from saying that 10 billion barrels actually exist:P

C

thanks

[Catmalojin]

200 people in Dalkey meet over drilling plans
Updated: 22:22, Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Around 200 people gathered in Dalkey for a meeting about plans by a company to drill for oil and gas off the coast there.

The Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore, told the meeting that he would make a submission to the Minister for the Environment expressing local concerns.

Providence Resources has applied for a licence to drill an exploratory well at Kish Bank, six kilometres off the Dalkey coast.

Locals say they are concerned about the impact this would have on the environment and tourism.

Providence Resources says the work it wants to do is purely exploratory and relatively low-key, that it can be undertaken unnoticed, with no adverse environmental effects.

People before profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has said a public enquiry should be carried out before a decision on granting the licence is made.

He told those gathered in the town hall that he would oppose the application because there were no guarantees that that any oil discovered or the potential financial benefits of a find would go to to the Irish people.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0124/dalkey.html

I'd say none of the 200 there even have any idea what Providence plan on carrying out.

[Catmalojin]

Dalkey meeting told of drilling concerns

GENEVIEVE CARBERY

Wed, Jan 25, 2012

TÁNAISTE EAMON Gilmore said it was important to distinguish between the current application for exploratory drilling in Dublin Bay and a commercial extraction application, he told a public meeting in Dalkey, Co Dublin, last night.

More than 300 people attended a meeting in the town to discuss a proposal for oil and gas exploration which would involve drilling in the sea some 6km off the coast at Dalkey Island.

Providence and its Malaysian partner is seeking the licence to establish whether oil or gas is present in commercial quantities.

The meeting was organised by Dalkey Community Council and Dalkey Business Group to help residents to make a submission to the public consultation which closes on February 2nd, council chairman Dr Susan McDonnell said.

Mr Gilmore, a Labour TD for Dún Laoghaire, said if a find were made, the company would need to make a separate application. In that case there would clearly be some issues such as proximity to the shoreline and special environmental areas, he said.

Local politicians called on Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to hold a public inquiry into the application.

Dún Laoghaire People before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said he was “absolutely opposed” to the application and there should “at the very least” be a public inquiry into the matter, he said.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Cormac Devlin said there had been a “massive amount” of queries from the public, the biggest one being the proximity of the drilling to the shore.

Providence did not send a representative to speak at the meeting. In a statement yesterday the company said it had been in contact with locals and was open to anyone to make an appointment to meet with it. It said the exploration is at a “relatively early stage” and the licence was required “for exploratory activity only”.

© 2012 The Irish Times

...

[Catmalojin]

Community may split over application to search for oil and gas off Dalkey

GENEVIEVE CARBERY

Thu, Jan 26, 2012



Providence Resources, the company behind the oil and gas exploration application, says rigorous environmental and health and safety standards" are part of its ethos.Photograph: Frank Miller

WITH JUST a week to go until the public consultation closes on an application for oil and gas exploration off the Dublin coast, locals are grappling with the potential risks and benefits of such a development.

Dublin-based Providence Resources has applied for a foreshore licence to search for oil or gas about 6km out to sea off Dalkey island on the Kish Bank Basin.

The licence would involve a two-week seismic survey and subsequent drilling of a single exploration well over one or two months. The company said it was at a “relatively early stage” and if oil or gas were discovered it would need further licencing.

The vast majority of some 300 people at a meeting in Dalkey on Monday night, including Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, supported a call for a public inquiry into the licence before it is granted.

Many concerns focus on the potential destruction of an oil spill should oil eventually be discovered and extracted.

However the impact of the initial exploration on wildlife and fish stocks pose a more immediate worry for some local people.

“This is a huge threat to us,” said commercial fisherman Ivan Tool, who operates out of Dún Laoghaire harvesting lobsters and whelks. The proposed exploratory drill would be in one of the main areas where he operates, which is a feeding and breeding ground for whelks, he said. He fears the sonar from the two-week seismic survey would hugely reduce shellfish in the area for many months. If oil were ever exploited and there was a spillage he fears it would destroy the local industry.

Dalkey resident and wildlife consultant Brian Porter, who previously surveyed birds on the Kish Basin, said he worried about the potential disturbance of the exploration to the area where important species of birds breed and feed. His greatest concern was the risk of a spill if oil were ever exploited but he was less concerned for wildlife in the case of a gas find.

Birdwatch Ireland has called for a more robust assessment of the impact of the exploration on birds. In its submission to the public consultation it pointed to a lack of consideration by the company of requirements for key species in the nearby special protection area.

The threat of injury and confusion the high-frequency seismic survey could cause to seals and dolphins was raised by Dalkey resident and mammalogist Fergus O’Gorman, also a former government scientific adviser.

The company said an environmental area assessment for the drilling and an environmental risk assessment for the seismic operations had been prepared while “rigorous environmental and health and safety standards” were part of its ethos.

There was concern locally that the issue could divide the community, architect Bill Hastings, who chaired the information meeting in Dalkey on Monday said.

Many people pointed out that it was not just a Dalkey issue but one for all of Dublin Bay, he said.

Activist Maura Harrington of the Corrib Shell to Sea campaign warned locals on Monday to “set aside any notion of naivety” when it came to oil companies.

Protect Our Coast, a group which has organised a petition against the licence is worried about the discovery of oil or gas.

Even a minor oil spill would have a serious effect on marine life, while gas extraction would raise the issue of bringing a pipeline into a highly populated region, it said in a statement.

Some locals see potential economic benefits in the discovery of oil or gas but there are fears about the potential threat to leisure and tourism.

Jeweller Don McManus, who chairs the Dún Laoghaire Business Association said his personal view was that such a find could be good for morale and a boost for the business community.

Go Sailing, which runs sailing trips from Dún Laoghaire into Dublin Bay, said it was in favour of sustainable employment but raised concern about oil exploration in the middle of what should be a special area of conservation.

Providence said it had met a range of interested parties in the area and was encouraging people to take part in the public consultation.

Details of the application can be found at iti.ms/wtd9Ax.

© 2012 The Irish Times

...

[JD47]

If I am totally honest I do not care if they drill for oil there as long as if they find some it will go towards helping the country financially and get us out of this recession.

[Catmalojin]

Originally Posted by JD47

If I am totally honest I do not care if they drill for oil there as long as if they find some it will go towards helping the country financially and get us out of this recession.

I think every right-minded person in the country is with you on that!

[JD47]

Originally Posted by Catmalojin

I think every right-minded person in the country is with you on that!

Yes I say they are but they need there voices heard.
I have not heard anything about oil and gas off the cost of Ireland apart from on this site. I dont even think people know anything about it.

[thebig C]

Originally Posted by JD47

Yes I say they are but they need there voices heard.
I have not heard anything about oil and gas off the cost of Ireland apart from on this site. I dont even think people know anything about it.

Well....its still very much a gamble as to how much there actually is

BTW, I agree with your above comments! As usual its the people who are anti everything and shout the loudest who dominate all the arguements!

[JD47]

Originally Posted by thebig C

Well....its still very much a gamble as to how much there actually is

BTW, I agree with your above comments! As usual its the people who are anti everything and shout the loudest who dominate all the arguements!

I think the problem with oil and gas is that a lot of people dont know about it as its not in the media that much. You hear about it sometimes but thats it

[Catmalojin]

Company plans investment in Leitrim gas field
Updated: 09:54, Wednesday, 1 February 2012


Sligo and Clare County Councils have already voted to ban the process of "fracking"

An Australian mining company is seeking to exploit a substantial gas field on the Fermanagh/Leitrim border with the promise of hundreds of jobs from a multi-billion euro investment.

The project is being opposed by campaigners who claim that the form of mining being proposed would harm the environment.

Tamboran Resources says its initial studies have confirmed there is a substantial natural gas field in north Co Leitrim.

They say the gas field could deliver security of energy supply in Ireland for the next 40 years providing 600 jobs here with up to 2,400 indirect jobs.

The company's chief executive Richard Moorman described the project as a potential energy and economic game changer for Ireland. He said allowing for even modest rates of recovery, the energy and economic benefits would be tremendous.

But the fracking process it would use to recover the gas is controversial.

It normally involves forcing up to 10 million gallons of fluid up to 500 metres below the surface to crack open the rock formation and channel natural gas into an onshore well.

Sligo and Clare County Councils have already voted to ban the process.

A New York Times investigation claimed the wasted water in some such wells contained dangerously high levels of radioactivity.

There is substantial local opposition to the project.

The Government has commissioned a report from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0201/fracking.html

I'm not too keen about the idea of fracking, I have to say.

[Catmalojin]

Another story...

Leitrim has $55bn gas reserves, firm claims

BARRY O'HALLORAN

Wed, Feb 01, 2012


Richard Moorman, chief executive officer of Tamboran Resources, speaks to anti-fracking protesters following his presentation to Leitrim County Council, Carrick-on-Shannon, last September. Photograph: Brian Farrell.

INITIAL INDICATIONS from exploration drilling in the northwest show that the area could hold enough natural gas to supply Irish needs for 12 years and create a total of 3,000 jobs.

Tamboran Resources, which has exploration drilling licences on both sides of the Border in the northwest region, said yesterday that its initial studies have confirmed the existence of a “substantial natural gas field” in northern Leitrim.

The company has already been the focus of a series of protests in the region because it is proposing to extract the gas using hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – a technique that has been blamed in the US for contaminating water supplies and other environmental problems.

Tamboran’s findings suggest that production there could ultimately reach 2.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, worth $55 billion at yesterday’s prices, which were around $2.50 per 1,000 cubic feet in New York.

The company said yesterday that the field could hold the equivalent of 12 years worth of Irish daily natural gas consumption.

Over 90 per cent of the natural gas consumed here every day is imported and the fuel is used to generate more than 60 per cent of electricity supplies.

Tamboran yesterday estimated that the Leitrim field would substantially cut these imports for up to 40 years and argued that it would help secure future energy supplies for the island of Ireland.

In a statement, chief executive, Richard Moorman, confirmed that Tamboran’s initial analysis suggests the presence of very substantial shale gas reserves in the north Leitrim area.

“Allowing for even modest rates of recovery, the energy and economic benefits would be tremendous,” he claimed.

The statement said that if the field were commercially developed, this would create 600 jobs directly and the knock-on effect would result in a further 2,400 new jobs.

It could also yield a substantial benefit for the State, which could get €4.9 billion in corporate, exploration and employment taxes.

Tamboran says it intends investing €7 billion in the region. Along with this, if the find hits its commercial targets, it has pledged to create a local investment fund that will channel €2 million a year into Leitrim.

Late last year, Mr Moorman told The Irish Times that the company had talks with Sligo Institute of Technology about the possibility of providing training for prospective workers.

Tamboran only holds exploration licences for the area. If it wants to go ahead and begin extracting the gas, it has to apply to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for further permits allowing it to do this.

In the meantime, Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to commission an independent study into the practice.

Fracking involves pumping large quantities of water at a rock face, deep underground, to create fissures or cracks through which natural gas can escape and be captured. It is used on rock types that are not porous enough to allow gas to be extracted by normal drilling techniques. The rocks are mainly shale, which is why the fuel extracted by fracking is known as “shale gas”.

Tamboran plans to drill at 500m-1,500m under ground, using drill bits sealed in chambers constructed of steel pipe and cement designed to prevent contamination of soil or groundwater.

While chemicals are normally used in the process as lubricants, Mr Moorman has said Tamboran believes they would not be necessary in Leitrim.

Last month, the company issued a statement saying that it supports tough regulation and full-scale monitoring, embracing boreholes and drilling, seismic activity, and air and water quality.

Tamboran is one of three companies carrying out onshore natural gas exploration in Ireland.

Tamboran is a privately held Australian and Canadian-based exploration company with licences and assets in Ireland, Australia and Africa.

© 2012 The Irish Times

$55 billion, you say?

[Seravia]

I don't think anyone's too keen about fracking, but when it's $55b at stake, I think I've changed my mind. And I know a lot of it is posturing in front of the media, but the company does seem to view the situation quite respectfully. 2 million a year invested into Leitrim is quite decent!