Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of current oil, gas or other mineral explorations, on or offshore; the extent to which viable prospects have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3642/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 304: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of current oil, gas or other mineral explorations, on or offshore; the extent to which viable prospects have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3968/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 304 together.

This reply has the same information as in Questions Nos. 44 and 126 of 21 October 2004 and Question No. 271 of 30 November 2004.

With regard to oil and gas exploration, one exploration well was drilled in 2004 by Providence Resources plc on the Blackrock prospect off the south coast. The well did not yield any significant shows of hydrocarbons and the well was plugged and abandoned as a dry hole.

The Dooish exploration well, which was drilled in 2002 by Enterprise Energy Ireland, now Shell E&P Ireland, off the Donegal coast and which discovered a hydrocarbon accumulation, was re-entered and deepened in 2003. Both my Department and Shell E&P are continuing to analyse the well results and integrate them with other data from the area. Further technical work on the prospect will be required before the size of the gas condensate accumulation and the possibility for any commercial development can be accurately assessed.

With regard to non-petroleum minerals, new exploration is continuously undertaken as part of my requirements to holders of prospecting licences, of which there are 276. Details of these licenses can be found in the six monthly report to the Oireachtas, which I am obliged to lay before the House under the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999. The last such report was in respect of the six-month period ended 30 June 2004. The report for the six-month period ended 31 December 2004 is currently being prepared and will be laid before the House in due course.

No new economic deposits of non-petroleum minerals have been discovered in recent years. There have been some encouraging results, however. Exploration adjacent to existing base metal mines at Navan, County Meath, Tara Mines Limited, and Galmoy, County Kilkenny, Arcon Mines Limited has discovered additional resources which have the potential to extend the life of those mines. I have recently granted a new State mining licence to Arcon for extraction of part of these additional resources.

A good zinc prospect area near Pallas Green, County Limerick, also has the potential to host an economic deposit and exploration is continuing. The acid test of commerciality with any new discovery is that having made a find the explorationist is then prepared to invest in planning for mining and so makes the necessary applications for permits to me, to the relevant local authority and to the EPA.