asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the steps being taken to verify the accuracy of information supplied by exploration companies, particularly oil companies, who hold licences from him, if he is satisfied with the adequacy of technical expertise available to him in relation to these activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exploration and Prospecting Information.
18.
Holders of petroleum exploration and minerals prospecting licences are required to furnish to me all information arising out of activities under these licences. This information includes geological, geophysical and geochemical data and the full results of all drilling operations including drill cores and well logs, together with all interpretative material and conclusions drawn from licensees' operations.
The information is examined carefully and interpreted independently by my technical staff and I am satisfied that this staff, supported by other services where necessary, are fully qualified to varify the accuracy of the information supplied.
The Minister has stated that they are obliged to supply him with full and accurate information. Is he satisfied that that information is forthcoming as fully and accurately as they are obliged to give it?
I believe it is. I have no evidence to show that it is not. We frequently have people on drilling rigs watching the material being prepared and they are satisfied that the information which comes to my Department each day is the same as that information which goes to the offices of the company concerned. If it were not accurate it would generally be possible for people in my Department to spot any inaccuracies afterwards when they recheck the results of the drilling.
The Minister also stated that he sought advice from outside agencies when he felt that this was needed. Could he tell us in what circumstances he might seek such information and to whom does he go for such advice?
The two outside agencies, although they are both strictly speaking under my Department but partly autonomous, are the Geological Survey Office and the IIRS. Most of the evaluation is done within the Department where there is a senior petroleum adviser, two geophysicists, one petroleum geologist, one consultant engineer and one economist dealing with these matters.
With regard to the reference in the question to the technical expertise available to the Minister, to what extent is it a condition of granting these licences that technological expertise would be imparted to native labour?
That was provided for in relation to licences for some of the blocks that were issued originally in 1975. Scholarships and courses have been made available under those arrangements for Irish people who are anxious to obtain knowledge and training in petroleum exploration-related activities.
In view of the fact that obviously it would be very difficult for his Department to be able to be certain about the veracity and comprehension of information relevant to this question unless people living in and of this country had the same kind of insight and expertise as people from outside, is the Minister happy that such a condition is still applicable in relation to these licences?
The changes that took place tended to be more on matters related to the drilling and exploration. The qualities or knowledge required primarily in regard to the interpretation of the data would be geological knowledge and we have no shortage of geologists. I have given the Deputy and the House a list of the specialists who are there to interpret the data.
As a result of the new technology being developed for deep sea exploration which is taking place west of us, is the Minister satisfied that the expertise available to him is of a calibre necessary to verify and scrutinise the information coming from this technology?
I take it that the Deputy is referring to seismic surveys from geophysicists?
That is one example.
They have been done for quite a long time now and we have had no difficulty in general terms in interpreting them. However, seismic surveys are not of themselves conclusive. If they were, everyone would know exactly where to drill. All they give is a general indication of likely reservoirs and that some areas are obviously much more prospective than others. The precise evaluation of seismic data as opposed to data actually coming out of a well is a matter of somewhat subjective judgement and one cannot make readings with precision. It is a matter of skill, experience and judgment. There can be no question of our being misled in regard to seismic data because that is an area where the companies themselves will try to be as accurate as possible so that they will drill in the most prospective place.
This is an important matter.
We have been boring for long enough. Question No. 19. We have already had nine supplementaries on Question No. 18.
Not from me.
I am not blaming the Deputy.