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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Apr 1997

Vol. 478 No. 3

Written Answers. - Offshore Drilling.

Desmond J. O'Malley

Ceist:

13 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the extent and the outcome of the offshore drilling programme in 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10880/97]

Statoil Exploration (Ireland) Limited hold a Lease Undertaking in the Connemara Field and have begun an appraisal programme to determine whether the field could be commercial using current technologies. This consists of drilling and testing two wells. Drilling commenced on 9 April 1997. An extended well test will follow with test production running over a period of 60 days. The second well will be drilled on completion of the first well and will be tested over a 15 day period. The appraisal phase is planned to be completed by the end of July 1997 and is expected to be self-financing. If the test results produce positive conclusions regarding the amount of oil in place and the productivity of the wells, Statoil would hope to be in a position to declare the field commercial in August and apply for the necessary consents to develop the field.

Assuming a favourable outcome from the appraisal programme, Statoil intend to exploit the field as a "fast track" development with start-up of full production by about 1 June 1998. Current projections indicate that up to nine additional wells might be drilled for production purposes.
Four offshore petroleum authorisation holders are expected to undertake drilling programmes in the Irish offshore during 1997.
Both Marathon International Petroleum Hibernia Ltd. and Total Oil Marine plc intend drilling exploration wells in the Porcupine Basin under their frontier exploration licences. It is likely that Total will commence drilling in the Porcupine Basin in mid-June and they have already carried out a site survey over their proposed drilling location in block 35/17. Marathon are expected to commence their drilling programme in late May in block 35/30.
Enterprise Oil plc. have indicated that they arc preparing to drill an exploration well in the Kish Bank and are expected to seek approval shortly to drill in Augusts.
Further exploration wells may be drilled this year but no proposals have yet been made by the companies to my Departments.
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