Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 May 1996

Vol. 466 No. 1

Written Answers. - Rockall Trough Explorations.

Seamus Brennan

Ceist:

227 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the oil or gas explorations, if any, currently being undertaken, planned or licenced in the Rockall area; and if he will make a statement on the future of explorations off Ireland's north-west coast. [10745/96]

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Stagg)

The Rockall Trough includes some 200,000 square kilometers of the Continental shelf area west of Ireland extending about 100 to 650 kilometres from the cost. In May, 1995 I enclosed the area for applications for licensing options and exploration licences and on 15 March this year I announced a licensing round over the trough. The south-west portion of the trough, which is very far from shore, in deep water and is unlikely to be of interest to the industry at this time, was not included in the round and remains closed for licensing. The round covers an area of almost 150,000 square kilometres and has been designated a frontier area. The closing date for the round is 26 March 1997.

It is necessary to acquire seismic and other data over the entire area to properly assess its hydrocarbon potential. Closure of the area and the announcement of the round provided that opportunity and indeed has already generated substantial activity over the area.

A technical evaluation of the Rockall Trough is currently being prepared by the petroleum affairs division of my Department in conjunction with Robertson Research International Limited. This work, due to be completed in early June 1996, will be based on all geophysical and geological data currently available from the area and will be the first comprehensive assessment of its petroleum potential. It will be sold to petroleum exploration companies and will provide them with good basis for initial decisions on whether to consider the area in more detail.

In addition, as a result of the promotional efforts of my Department, several contractors have plans this year for new data acquisition over the area of the round. Such data would provide a substantial, modern dataset and would enable the acreage being made available in the round to be graded. An aeromagnetic survey and two seismic surveys have already been carried out this year; two exploration surveys are currently under way and four more seismic surveys are planned for the area. A seabed geological survey is proposed and it is possible that a satellite seep survey will also be conducted. Elsewhere off the north-west coast, in the Slyne and Erris Troughs, there are six exploration licences and one licensing option in place. Active exploration programmes are being carried out under these authorisations including an exploration well currently being drilled by Enterprise Oil plc in block 27/5 in the Slyne Trough. Enterprise will drill a second well in block 18/20 in the Slyne Trough later this summer following on from their first well. They also propose to acquire further seismic data. The success of Enterprise's drilling programme will only be determined when the wells are completed.

A high number of authorisations are in place and I expect that further licences will be issued in the future, particularly under the Rockall round. I am confident that exploration activities, will continue, at least at current levels, for the foreseeable future.