HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY

Irish exploration opportunities

15 years ago

The Irish government, which recently announced €150,000 funding of a wave energy research project, is now inviting applications from exploration companies of all sizes to identify and promote investigative projects in its under-explored sectors of the Atlantic.

It says that recent source assessment studies have shown a substantial ‘yet-to-find hydrocarbon potential’.

The largest licensing round to date, covering a sector of just over a quarter of a million square km, the area on offer extends from about 30km to 380km from shore with water depths typically ranging from less than 200m to over 3,000m.

Purchase of existing confidential speculative/multi-client geophysical data will be treated as data acquisition for the purpose of work programmes offered in the round, while confidentiality periods for new speculative/multi-client geophysical surveys is increased to 10 years.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday 31 May. Further details are available from the Department of Natural Resources, Petroleum Affairs Division, 29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Ireland (Tel: +353 1 678 2000 Email: padadmin@dcenr.gov.ie Web: www.pad.ie