Written answers
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Exploration Licences Data
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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180. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which oil, gas and other exploration licences have been activated on a monthly basis over the past five years; the degree to which viable or commercial results have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4172/15]
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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185. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if arising from any recent exploration, indications of a sizeable oil, gas or other mineral discovery has been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4177/15]
Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 185 together.
A table outlines the exploration licences issued by my Department over the past five years. Details of all authorisations granted by my Department are published on my Department's website on a quarterly basis and can also be found in the six monthly reports to the Oireachtas, which I am obliged to lay before the Houses under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999 and the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960, respectively. The last such reports were in respect of the six-month period ending 30 June 2014. These reports are also available on my Department’s website at .
| Year | Petroleum Exploration Licences Issued | Prospecting Licences (Minerals) Issued |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 93 |
| 2011 | 2 | 98 |
| 2012 | 0 | 102 |
| 2013 | 5 | 142 |
| 2014 | 6 | 71 |
| Total | 13 | 506 |
There have been no commercial discoveries of oil or gas within the territory of the State in the last five years. Ireland, however, has witnessed a positive upswing in the level of petroleum exploration activity in recent years, in particular acquisition of new seismic data. We need to see this translate into an increased level of exploration drilling in the coming years, if Ireland’s true petroleum potential is to be realised.
In a similar manner, while the number of active minerals prospecting licences indicate the buoyant state of mineral exploration in Ireland, no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered in the last five years although there have been some encouraging results, particularly in Counties Limerick and Clare. However, it is too early to determine whether these results will lead to identification of commercially viable deposits or to estimate the economic benefits that might accrue.
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