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March 2018

Europa’s eureka

By: 
Liamy MacNally - MayoNews

Major Inishkea gas find, but who will benefit?

Seven years ago in this column I wrote about a 2006 Government Indecon report that claimed there is a minimum of 10 billion barrels of oil (and gas) off our shores. Work it out. At $70 a barrel, it would more than pay for the bank bailout debt that was unfairly pressed upon Irish citizens. And we would still have a lot of change.
There has been a major gas find off the Mayo coast, bigger than Corrib. The UK-based Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) PLC ‘has elected to fast track an ongoing technical work programme following positive results’ from their flagship project in Ireland, the Inishkea prospects in the Slyne basin near the Corrib gas field.
All going well the drilling will start in 2020.
A Europa newsletter, dated March 14, 2018, available on www.europaoil.com, states:
“We believe 2.5 tcf [trillion cubic feet] of undiscovered Gas Initially In Place (GIIP) is likely to translate into commercially significant prospective resources. We understand that the recovery factor at the Corrib field is ~ 80 percent.
“Water depths are comparatively shallow (400-600m) and do not require harsh environment sixth generation drillships therefore drill costs are lower. We have recently conducted a drill cost estimate for a well on the Inishkea prospect and dry hole cost including mob and demob is US$28 million using a prevailing rig rate of US$120,000 per day.
“Gas infrastructure is already present nearby at Corrib therefore a fast track path to commercialisation is potentially available, subject to negotiation and cooperation with the infrastructure owners. Gas is likely to be a significant component of Ireland’s future energy needs both for electricity generation and domestic and industrial heating.”

Posted Date: 
28 March 2018

Gardaí denied details over British police spy

By: 
Ellen Coyne - Sunday Times

Senior gardaí were given no information on the presence of a British police spy in Ireland after seeking a meeting with officers from Scotland Yard, The Times can reveal.

Mark Kennedy, a British police officer who worked undercover, was in the Republic on several occasions between 2004 and 2006. He is now at the centre of an inquiry in Britain about officers who had intimate relationships with women while undercover.

Posted Date: 
26 March 2018

Efforts to explore large gas field off west coast fast tracked

By: 
Pat McGrath - RTE

A British company has said it is fast-tracking exploration efforts to access an estimated two trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas at a site off the west coast.

If successful, that volume of reserves would be around double what is thought to be in the Corrib Gas field, a short distance away.

Europa Oil and Gas said it believes it can access reserves at three locations off the Mayo coast.

It says that it hopes to be in a position to drill an exploration well by late 2019 or in 2020, subject to Government approval. 

Posted Date: 
26 March 2018

New research finds seismic testing for oil and gas at sea can destroy plankton

By: 
Lorna Siggins - Irish Times

Fishing industry calls for review of seismic surveying in Irish waters in light of Australian study

The Government has been called on to review seismic testing for oil and gas in Irish waters, following a newly-published Australian study showing such exploration techniques can destroy plankton populations.

The research by the University of Tasmania and Curtin University found that air gun signals which are commonly used in marine petroleum exploration can cause a two to three-fold increase in mortality of adult and larval zooplankton.

Posted Date: 
26 March 2018

Corrib Gas Field revenue soars 40pc

By: 
Gordon Deegan - Irish Independent

The Corrib Gas Partners last year enjoyed a 40pc increase in estimated revenues to €524.4m in spite of 31 days of lost production - mainly as a result of odourless gas getting into the system.

Posted Date: 
3 March 2018