Written answers
Thursday, 17 November 2005
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Offshore Exploration
5:00 pm
Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the exploration licences which have been awarded to oil and gas companies in the recent past; the licences which are being awarded at present; the licences he intends to award in the future; the number and location of these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34984/05]
Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Details of current licences, including those recently awarded, are contained in two reports published by my Department. The first of these is the six monthly report on licensing presented to the Dáil under section 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960. The second is the acreage report which is published on the Department's website approximately three times each year. Details of the licences and authorisations which have been awarded in the recent past are shown in the table.
| Exploration Licences. | |||||
| Option No. | Option Period | Block Nos. | Area (km2) | Participants (* = Operator) | % Interest |
| 1/05 Frontier | 20 January 2005-19 January 2020 | 13/7, 13/11 (p) & 13/12 (p) | 408.29 | *Lundin Exploration BV | 35 |
| Island Donegal Limited | 26 | ||||
| Ramco Donegal Limited | 19.25 | ||||
| Petroceltic Erris Limited | 16.25 | ||||
| Sunningdale Donegal Basin Limited | 3.5 | ||||
| 2/05 Frontier | 1 July 2005-30 June 2021 | 12/6, 11/10, 11/15 & 12/1 | 932.18 | *Shell E&P Ireland Limited | 50 |
| Eni Ireland BV. | 40 | ||||
| OMV (IRELAND) Exploration GmbH | 10 | ||||
| 3/05 Frontier | 1 July 2005-30 June 2021 | 18/10, 19/1 & 19/6 | 715.58 | *Island Oil and Gas plc | 100 |
| P — part block. |
Other authorisations, other than exploration licences, issued during the period include:
| Licensing Options. | |||||
| Option No. | Option Period | Block Nos. | Area (km2) | Participants (* = Operator) | % Interest |
| 05/1 | 1 January 2005-31 December 2006 | 49/13 (p) | 115.67 | *Milesian Oil & Gas Limited | 100 |
| 05/2 | 1 January 2005-31 December 2006 | 48/21 (p) & 48/22 (p) | 142.69 | *Milesian Oil & Gas Limited | 100 |
| 05/3 | 1 April 2005-30 September 2006 | 41/29 (p), 41/30 (p), 50/3 (p), 50/4, 50/5 & 51/1 (p) | 841.56 | *Providence Resources plc | 100 |
| P — part block. |
| Petroleum Prospecting Licences | |||
| Licence No. | No. of Years | Licence From | Licensee |
| 1/05 | 3 | 1 January 2005 | Milesian Oil & Gas Limited |
| 2/05 | 3 | 14 June 2005 | Trans-International Oil Exploration Limited |
Petroleum Prospecting Licence 3/00 — Shell E&P Ireland Ltd — expired on 7 June 2005.
At present my Department has received two applications to convert licensing options to exploration licences, one onshore and one offshore, in the Celtic Sea. Details will be published if and when the licences have been issued and signed. As regards licensing in the future, a licensing round has been announced over the Slyne — Erris — Donegal area with a closing date of 15 March 2006. It is not possible at this stage to say how many applications will be received or licences issued.
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