2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round - Results and Map
Minister Rabbitte's speech at Energy Ireland Conference 1 June 2011
2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round Notice
2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round Notice - published 7 October 2010
2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round - Acreage Availability Update 1 April 2011
There are no further updates to the acreage map of the 1st April 2011.
Clarification_Requests
Advice regarding payment of Application Fees
2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round Map and Technical Displays
Map of 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round - Update 1 April 2011
Shapefile of Round outline
Technical Displays
2007 Licensing Terms
Fiscal Terms
Government announcement of 2007 Fiscal Terms - 1 August 2007
Petroleum Taxation in Ireland
Expert advice on review of Ireland’s Fiscal Terms, Indecon 2007
Non-Fiscal Terms
Licensing Terms for Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production, 2007
Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment (IOSEA)
Final Evironmental report for IOSEA 1 - Slyne, Erris and Donegal Basins
Final Environmental Report for IOSEA 2 - Porcupine Basin
Final Environmental Report for IOSEA 3 - Rockall Basin
Data Availability and Licence information
www.pad.ie/ipas
Oil and Gas Exploration Irish Offshore Open for Business
Minister Conor Lenihan announces details of new exploration opportunities in Irish waters – the “2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round”
Dublin, 16th June 2010
Minister Conor Lenihan today announced details of new exploration opportunities in Irish waters – the “2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round”.
The Minister also announced details of a new joint Ireland/Newfoundland-Labrador research project involving a plate reconstruction of the North Atlantic.
The 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round is an invitation for oil and gas exploration companies to apply for new authorisations in Ireland’s Atlantic Margin.
This round is different from previous licensing Rounds and is designed to boost the level of exploration activity off the Irish coast.
Minister Lenihan stated “Having considered the lessons to be learned from recent licensing rounds and having consulted with industry, I believe it is time for Ireland to take a new approach to attracting exploration investment to the Atlantic margin. I am proposing a licensing initiative that is simple, yet innovative.
It is an initiative with the clear objective of significantly increasing the level of exploration activity in the Irish offshore. It is an initiative that will fit different company sizes and corporate strategies. As a result, it should be of real interest to the industry at large, contractors included.”
It opens up Ireland’s entire Atlantic – the Atlantic Margin - seabed for exploration (apart from existing licensed areas) rather than specific basins (or blocks).
In the past 15-year licences were granted but they required that a significant investment had to be made within the first phase of the licence (usually four years). In this Round, two year Licensing Options will be on offer to allow exploration companies assess the potential of the area and therefore do not require a large up-front cash investment. A fifteen year licence can then be secured if desired, provided an appropriate work programme is agreed.
In order to encourage the acquisition of new seismic data by seismic acquisition contractors, Minister Lenihan had decided to extend the confidentiality period that will apply to new acquisition in the Licensing Round area, from 7 to 10 years.
This round will be the largest licensing round to date, covering an area of just over a quarter of a million square kilometres, comprising 996 full blocks and 58 part blocks. The area on offer extends from about 30-380 km from shore with water depths typically ranging from 200m, or less, to over 3000m.
Trans Atlantic Research Initiative
Minister Lenihan also announced details of a new trans-Atlantic research corroboration involving a range of Irish and Newfoundland-Labrador research institutes and private enterprise.
This two-year research project will use sophisticated computer modelling software to generate plate reconstruction models showing Irish and Canadian sedimentary basins in their original positions from millions of years ago when Ireland and Canada were near neighbours. By doing this we can identify areas in Ireland with similar geology that might be rich in petroleum too.
Irish Atlantic waters have traditionally been inhospitable areas for petroleum exploration. Circa 150 wells have been drilled in the last 30 years with a less than 1 in 30 success ratio (discovery of commercial fields).
Yet, it is estimated that the area is likely to be rich in petroleum reserves. There are potential reserves of 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent (oil or gas) in the Irish Atlantic Margin.
Minister Lenihan said “I believe that offering Licensing Options, on the basis I have outlined, will attract an increased interest in exploration offshore Ireland and I look forward to the receipt of a good number of quality applications when the Round closes on the 31st of May of next year”
Ends
Notes for Editors:
• The Atlantic basins to the west of Ireland are a “closed area”, and companies can only apply for licences when the Minister runs a licensing round competition.
• For the first time ever the area covered in the 2011 Round includes all of Ireland’s Atlantic sedimentary basins (map available on request). The area on offer extends from about 30-380 km from shore with water depths typically ranging from 200m, or less, to over 3000m.
• Licensing Options granted under the 2011 Licensing Round will be valid for maximum period of two years and may not be extended. The actual duration of each Licensing Option issued will be determined by the detail of the work programme agreed with the Minister.
• The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2011 Atlantic Licensing Round is 31st May 2011.
• Each application shall be for a minimum of one block and for a maximum of six blocks.
• Licensing Option holders will be required to hold a Petroleum Prospecting Licence for the full duration of the Licensing Option.