Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
1566. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which commercially viable discoveries of oil, gas or other minerals have been made in the past five years to date on or offshore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32296/15]
View answer1573. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of oil, gas or other exploration licences issued in each of the past five years to date; the number of commercially viable discoveries arising therefrom; the number of such licences activated by way of actual exploration; the number still outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32303/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1566 and 1573 together.
Details of all authorisations granted by the Department are published in the six monthly reports to the Oireachtas, which I am obliged to lay before the Houses under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999 and the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960, respectively. The last such reports were in respect of the period ending 30 June 2015. These details and reports are also available on my Department’s website at www.dcenr.gov.ie. The number of Mineral Prospecting Licences granted between 2010 and 31 August 2015 is set out in the following table:Mineral Prospecting Licences Granted during the period 2010-2015
|
Year |
No. of Prospecting Licences |
|
2010 |
93 |
|
2011 |
98 |
|
2012 |
102 |
|
2013 |
142 |
|
2014 |
71 |
|
2015 (to 31 August 2015) |
50 |
While the number of active mineral prospecting licences, currently in excess of 550 licences, indicate the prevailing state of mineral exploration in Ireland, no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered during this period. While there have, however, been some encouraging results, particularly in Counties Limerick and Clare, it is too early to determine whether these results will lead to identification of commercially viable deposits. The number of Petroleum Authorisations granted between 2010 and 31 August 2015 is set out in the following table:Petroleum Authorisations Granted during the period 2010-2015
|
Year |
Exploration Licences |
Licensing Options |
Petroleum Prospecting Licences |
|
2010 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
2011 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
|
2012 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
|
2013 |
5 |
5 |
9 |
|
2014 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
|
2015 (to 31 August 2015) |
0 |
1 |
2 |
There have been no commercial discoveries of oil or gas within the territory of the State in the past five years. There has, however, been a positive upswing in the level of petroleum exploration activity during this period, in particular acquisition of new seismic data. That positive momentum is set to continue following on from the close last week of the 2015 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round.
