Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2004
260 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of research or exploration currently ongoing in respect of identification of deposits of oil, gas or other minerals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19570/04]
View answer262 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the oil, gas or mineral exploration sites currently showing greatest promise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19572/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 262 together.
The level of petroleum exploration activity is directly related to the number of authorisations issued. At present, both licences and activity are at a relatively low level. This summer one firm exploration well is planned and one seismic survey has been completed. The exploration well will be drilled shortly on the Blackrock prospect in the Celtic Sea area by Providence Resources plc under its licensing option 03/1. The seismic survey was undertaken by Eni Ireland BV in the Porcupine Basin under its exploration licence 1/99 and was completed on 16 June.
In addition to petroleum exploration, the industry carry out joint research projects in the Irish offshore under the chairmanship of my Department. This research is aimed at promoting a greater knowledge and understanding of the Irish offshore and topics include geology and geophysics, engineering and the environment. Several projects have been completed under the joint research effort and many more are underway or at the planning stages.
With regard to non-petroleum minerals, as the Deputy knows, exploration in this country is undertaken by private enterprise holders of prospecting licences granted under the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999. There were 281 current prospecting licences at the end of May 2004. Continuous exploration activity is one of the requirements for holding a prospecting licence. My Department continues to be actively engaged in promoting investment interest in minerals exploration from overseas companies, in order to keep the level of exploration in the country as high as possible, and has undertaken several initiatives in this regard.
The Dooish exploration well, which was drilled in 2002 by Enterprise Energy Ireland, now Shell E&P Ireland, off the Donegal coast and which discovered a gas condensate accumulation, was re-entered and deepened in 2003. Both my Department and Shell E&P are continuing to analyse the well results and integrate them with other data from the area. However, it is extremely encouraging that this well, only the second to be drilled in the Irish sector of the Rockall Basin, proved to be a significant discovery, and my Department has emphasised the positive implications of this discovery for the prospectivity of the basin as a whole.
The mineral exploration sites currently showing the greatest promise are largely adjacent to existing base metal mines at Navan, County Meath — Tara Mines Limited — Lisheen. County Tipperary Anglo American and Galmoy, County Kilkenny — Arcon Mines Limited. Additional resources have been discovered which have the potential to extend the life of those mines, and applications for additional State mining facilities for these are currently being dealt with in my Department. Another very promising area where significant zinc mineralisation has been found is east County Limerick, while gold exploration in County Monaghan continues to provide encouragement.
261 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of direct investment or tax foregone in respect of oil, gas or other mineral exploration in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19571/04]
View answerIn respect of oil and gas, while I or my Department does not have the costs of exploration activities, these activities included the drilling of six offshore and two onshore exploration wells. In addition to these there have been 24 3D and 14 2D seismic surveys. Costs would also include the acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation of the data from these surveys.
In respect of non-petroleum minerals, the total exploration expenditure by holders of prospecting licences from 1998 to 2002, the most recent five year period for which figures are available, was €48.33 million. With regard to tax foregone, in respect of petroleum and non-petroleum minerals, this is a matter for the Minister for Finance.
