Vol. 455 No. 8
402 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the estimated reserves remaining in the Kinsale and Ballycotten gas fields; the current annual usage; and when other existing gas reserves are likely to run out. [13284/95]
As is the practice in the petroleum industry "reserves" is taken to mean recoverable reserves; that is estimated volumes of natural gas which are technically and commercially recoverable.
In the case of Ireland's two gasfields, Kinsale Head and Ballycotton, the most recent estimates available to me indicate that there are 418 billion cubic feet of gas reserves in the fields. This figure is dependent on several factors including the gas initially in place, the reservoir drive mechanism and its efficiency and the assumed economic cut-off point for the gas being produced. Ninety seven billion cubic feet of gas were used during 1994 and this year, to the end of July, 60.3 billion cubic feet have been used. Apart from the Kinsale Head and Ballycotton fields, Ireland has no other existing gas reserves.
