Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 June 2011
126 Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has carried out analysis on the possible negative environmental impacts of fracking or hydraulic fracturing in view of the licence recently issued to a company to use this technique to explore for natural gas in the Roscommon and Leitrim area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16742/11]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department has not licensed hydraulic fracturing/drilling in the Roscommon and Leitrim areas.
Earlier this year, following an open competition, my Department awarded onshore Licensing Options to Tamboran Resources Ltd over parts of Cavan, Leitrim and Sligo and to the Lough Allen Natural Gas Company Ltd over parts of Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo. The Licensing Options are designed to allow the companies assess the natural gas potential of their acreage largely based on desktop studies of existing data from previous petroleum exploration activity. Exploration drilling is not allowed under these authorisations, but shallow geological sampling is permitted.
Exploration activity under these Licensing Options is at an early stage and there is no certainty that it will lead to applications for follow-on exploration licences that would be required before exploration wells could be drilled. In the event hydraulic fracturing was envisaged as part of a possible future exploration or production programme, then that activity would be subject to an environmental impact assessment, including an appropriate public consultation phase. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
