Austin Deasy
Question:108 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when the first offshore oilfields will come into operation. [22022/98]
Written Answers. - Offshore Exploration.
I have granted a petroleum lease to Providence Resources PLC over the Helvick oilfield which is valid for a period of ten years from 1 May 1998. The field, first discovered in 1983, is situated in the south-west corner of Block 49/9 in the North Celtic Sea Basin about 36 kilometres from the Waterford coast. The Helvick field is the only area in the Irish offshore for which a petroleum lease for oil production has been granted. Providence has indicated that it believes that Helvick has an estimated seven million barrels of recoverable oil together with associated gas. Under the terms of the petroleum lease, the company is required to submit a detailed plan of development for the field for my approval by 1 May 2000. When a detailed plan of development has been assessed and approved by me and when all authorisations for the development have been obtained, the company would then be in a position to install the infrastructure necessary to produce the oil and gas.
There are two other known oil accumulations of interest in the Irish offshore — the Connemara field and the Seven Heads field. "Connemara", located in the Porcupine Basin and discovered in 1979, was appraised by Statoil in 1997 with disappointing results and the company concluding that the field was not commercial.
In the case of the Seven Heads oil and gas accumulation in the Celtic Sea discovered in 1974, interested companies were invited to apply for a lease undertaking by 8 April this year but no applications were received. I still have hopes that parties will express an interest in this oil and gas accumulation.