Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Mar 1995

Vol. 451 No. 3

Written Answers. - Exploration Licences.

Desmond J. O'Malley

Question:

29 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he will give details of the names of all holders of frontier exploration licences issued to date, including exploration and drilling commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6511/95]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

To date 13 Frontier Exploration Licences have been issued under two Rounds, five in the Erris and Slyne Troughs in 1994 and eight in the Porcupine Basin in 1995.

Licences issued in the Slyne and Erris were: 1. Four blocks to Enterprise Oil plc.; 2. Four blocks to Enterprise Oil plc., and Santa Fe Minerals (Ireland) Limited; 3. Three blocks to KerrMcGee Eire Exploration Limited, Aran Servicing Limited, and Monument Resources (Germany) Limited; 4. Eleven blocks to Statoil (UK) Limited, Union Texas Petroleum and Rimrock Offshore Limited; 5. Six blocks to Texaco Britain Limited and Repsol Exploration (UK) Limited.

These licences are valid for 16 years over four phases of four years each. During the first phase the licensees have an obligation under their agreed work programme to acquire in excess of 5,000 km of seismic gravity and magnetic data. The licensees carried out a joint shallow core-hole project in 1994 also under their work programme. To retain a licence beyond the first phase licensees will be obliged to commit to at least one exploration well during the second phase.

Licences issued in the Porcupine Basin were: 1. Two blocks to Aran Servicing Limited; 2. Four blocks to BHP Petroleum (Exploration) Inc., Santa Fe Minerals (Ireland) Limited and British Borneo International Limited; 3. Three blocks to Chevron Exploration Europe Limited and Aran Servicing Limited; 4. Three blocks to Chevron Exploration Europe Limited and Aran Servicing Limited; 5. Seven blocks to Marathon Petroleum Hibernia Limited, Occidental of Ireland Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Company Ireland; 6. Four blocks to Occidental of Ireland Inc.; 7. Five and a half blocks to Statoil (UK) Limited, Fina Petroleum Development Limited, Conoco (UK) Limited, Union Texas Petroleum Limited and Seafield Resources plc.; 8. Three and a half blocks to Total Oil Marine plc. and DSM Exploration Ireland BV.

The licences are valid for a period of 15 years and are divided into four phases. The licensees have undertaken a comprehensive work programme under the licences involving the acquisition of 7,700 kilometres of new seismic. They have also agreed to carry out a joint high resolution aeromagnetic survey over the Northern Porcupine Basin.

As in the previous frontier round applicants were required only to commit to a work programme during the first phase which did not include a well obligation. Nevertheless, in applying for acreage two of the successful applicants undertook to drill at least one exploration well each as part of their work programme under the licence.

I am not prepared to provide details of individual work programmes of licensees. These were included in competitive tenders submitted with the licence application and form part of the exploration agreement between the licensee and my Department.