John Bruton
Ceist:143 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Energy if he will give details of any planned exploration works now being carried out, or to be carried out, during the coming year in County Meath.
Written Answers. - County Meath Exploration Works.
A total of 34 prospecting licences are held by ten companies which are carrying out exploration programmes in County Meath in 1992-93. There is a wide variety of exploration techniques which the licensees may use, for example, geochemical and geophysical surveys, shallow and diamond drilling, reviewing the existing geological data or a combination of the foregoing. Details of the techniques to be used are a matter for the companies themselves. All of the licences are confined to exploration for base metals with the exception of P.L. 3580 which is confined to the industrial mineral gypsum.
The companies concerned and the prospecting licences held by each are as follows:
|
Company |
P.L. Area |
|
Rennicks and Bennett Ltd. |
1496. |
|
Tara Mines Ltd. |
1380R, 1489R, 1661R. |
|
Prospex (Irl.) Ltd. |
2540, 1177. |
|
Rio Tinto Finance and Exploration |
1053, 3635, 3636, 1323, 1324, 1325, 1339, 1500, 2063, 2778, 2779. |
|
Tara Prospecting Ltd. |
1439, 1450, 1451R, 1453R, 2882, 1334, 3622, 3621, 2884. |
|
Westland Exploration Ltd. |
1440R. |
|
Celtic Gold plc. |
1991. |
|
Gypsum Industries plc. |
3580. |
|
Kells Minerals Ltd. |
1333, 3611, 1601. |
|
Oretec Resources plc. |
1319, 3660. |
The prospecting licences in question cover virtually all areas of the county. If, however, the Deputy requires details of the townlands in each licence area I will arrange to have this information forwarded to him.