Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2019
1236. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of all exploration and drilling licences issued to a company (details supplied) or pending following applications. [18989/19]
View answerA report on the status of all petroleum authorisations, including exploration licences, is published on a quarterly basis on my Department's website. The most recent such report was published on 31 March 2019.
Section 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960 also requires the Minister to lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months a report detailing all exploration activities including petroleum authorisations granted during the period of the report. The last such report laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas was in respect of the six-month period ending 31 December 2018. ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Limited are the operator of two Frontier Exploration Licences and have a participating interest in a further five Frontier Exploration Licences.
The details of these Licences are as follows:
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Limited
|
Licence |
Duration |
Operator |
Participating interests in the Licence |
|
FEL 3/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited |
CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited 50% ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 50% |
|
FEL 5/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd |
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 25% Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited 25% |
|
FEL 6/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd |
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 25% Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited 25% |
|
FEL 7/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 50% |
|
FEL 8/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 50% |
|
FEL 9/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 50% |
|
FEL10/18 |
1 March 2018 – 28 February 2033 |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited |
Equinor Energy Ireland Limited 50% ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ireland (Offshore South) Ltd 50% |
The holder of a Frontier Exploration Licence must apply to the Minister if they wish to under exploratory drilling activities on the Licence. An application by CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited to undertake exploratory drilling on Frontier Exploration Licence 3/18 is currently under consideration.
