1. Exploration Opportunities in Ireland
AAPG, Paris September 2005
Exploration Opportunities in Ireland
Noel Murphy, Peter Croker,
Michael Hanrahan & Clare Morgan
Petroleum Affairs Division, Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, Dublin

2. TOPICS INTRODUCTION > OVERVIEW EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION STATUS
> SEISMIC, WELLS & LICENCES
> PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
3. FACTORS EFFECTING E&P
> ACCESS TO DATA & INFORMATION
> DEMAND FOR OIL & GAS
> INFRASTURCTURE
> LICENSING TERMS
> PROSPECTIVITY
> ACCESS TO ACREAGE
4. INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE THE SECTOR
5. SUMMARY

3. DOOISH
BENBECULA
LAGGAN
CORRIB
35/8-2
35/8-1
CONNEMARA
ROSEBANK - LOCHNAGAR
Kinsale Area Fields
IRELAND

4. ‘Discoveries’

5. 50
100 Kilometers

6. Celtic Sea & Fastnet Basins Kish & CIS Basins50
100 Kilometers
Celtic Sea
&
Fastnet Basins
Kish &
CIS
Basins

7. Donegal Basin Hatton Basin Erris Basin Rockall Basin Slyne Basin
Porcupine
Basin
Goban Spur Basin
Celtic Sea
&
Fastnet Basins
Hatton Basin
Kish &
CIS
Basins 50
100 Kilometers

8. 2 1 3 4 26 Offshore Ireland 121 Exploration Wells (1971 – 2005)
Rockall Basin
Donegal Basin
Erris Basin
Slyne Basin
Porcupine Basin
Goban Spur Basin 1 3 4 26 2
Offshore Ireland
121 Exploration
Wells
(1971 – 2005)
West of Ireland
37 Exploration
( )

9. FRONTIER ROUNDS Oil Price Rockall N. Porcupine Slyne/Erris/Rockall
S. Porcupine
Porcupine
Oil Price

10. Exploration wells drilled West of Ireland (1977 – 2004)
1 : 9
1 : 4.5

11. Dooish
Corrib
Exploration
Wells
(1994 – 2005)

12. TOPICS INTRODUCTION > OVERVIEW EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION STATUS
> SEISMIC, WELLS & LICENCES
> PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
3. FACTORS EFFECTING E&P
> ACCESS TO DATA & INFORMATION
> DEMAND FOR OIL & GAS
> INFRASTURCTURE
> LICENSING TERMS
> PROSPECTIVITY
> ACCESS TO ACREAGE
4. INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE THE SECTOR
5. SUMMARY

13. SEISMIC
Seismic Acquired:

14. WELLS
Wells Drilled:

15. Exploration Licences: 1970 – 2005 (end June – end December each year)

16. Production Forecast: P50 (Proven & Probable) Case
GAS PRODUCTION
RESERVES: 950 Bcf Approx.
Production Forecast: P50 (Proven & Probable) Case

17. Concession Map with Gas Fields
Concession Map with Gas Fields
Corrib Field
Kinsale Area &
Seven Heads Fields

18. TOPICS INTRODUCTION > OVERVIEW EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION STATUS
> SEISMIC, WELLS & LICENCES
> PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
3. FACTORS EFFECTING E&P
> ACCESS TO DATA & INFORMATION
> DEMAND FOR OIL & GAS
> INFRASTURCTURE
> LICENSING TERMS
> PROSPECTIVITY
> ACCESS TO ACREAGE
4. INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE THE SECTOR
5. SUMMARY

20. Projected gas demand based on Gas 2025 Project, CW case.
Gas Supply vs Demand
Projected gas demand*
Projected gas demand based on Gas 2025 Project, CW case.

21. Infrastructure - onshore

22. Infrastructure - offshore
CORK
Inch Terminal

23. Infrastructure - offshore
CORK
Inch Terminal
Bellinaboy
Terminal
Corrib Gas Field

24. Ireland’s Licensing & Fiscal Terms
no state participation or royalties
25 % corporation tax
generous write-off provisions
Frontier Exploration License
Fiscal Terms Comparison, 2004; updated Sept 2005
Oil Fields
Gas Fields

26. Prospect Inventory
Status: June, 2005

27. 2005 NE Rockall Basin Licensing Round
Announced: 27 July 2004
Acreage on Offer: 65 full & 12 part-blocks
Area: approx. 15, 800 sq km
Licence Duration: 16 years
Terms: Licensing Terms
Closing Date: 31 May 2005
The hydrocarbon potential of this area has been illustrated by the Dooish discovery which encountered a significant column of hydrocarbons.
2005 NE Rockall Basin Licensing Round
2005 NE Rockall Round
FEL 2/05: Shell (50%), Eni (40%) & OMV (10%)
FEL 3/05: Island (100%)
DOOISH
2/05
3/05

28. A. Walsh et al. Statoil (1999) NW SE
Rockall Basin
Erris Basin

29. 2D seismic line from NE Rockall Basin
Seismic courtesy of PGS
SRT-03 Dip Line
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Pre-Cretaceous NW SE

30. 2006 Slyne / Erris / Donegal Licensing Round
Announced: 25 January 2005
Acreage on Offer: Blocks to be announced
Area: approx. 25,000 sq km (gross)
Licence Duration: 15 years
Terms: Licensing Terms
Closing Date: 15 March 2006
The hydrocarbon potential of the area is illustrated by Corrib gas field. The infrastructure for the field could significantly reduce development costs for future diiscoveries.
2006 Slyne/Erris/Donegal Round

31. Corrib Gas Field Base Chalk Tertiary Volcanics Bajocian Lst Sherwood
18/20-3
Appriasal
Well
Base Chalk
Tertiary Volcanics
Bajocian Lst
Sherwood

32. MIDDLE JURASSIC
OIL SHOWS
LOWER TRIASSIC
GAS DISCOVERY

34. Inishbeg Prospect Corrib Analogue
Donegal Basin
Corrib Development (1 tcf) SE NW
Inishbeg Prospect Corrib Analogue
Inishbeg Prospect E W
S. Boldy 2004

35. TOPICS INTRODUCTION > OVERVIEW EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION STATUS
> SEISMIC, WELLS & LICENCES
> PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
3. FACTORS EFFECTING E&P
> ACCESS TO DATA & INFORMATION
> DEMAND FOR OIL & GAS
> INFRASTURCTURE
> LICENSING TERMS
> PROSPECTIVITY
> ACCESS TO ACREAGE
4. INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE THE SECTOR
5. SUMMARY

36. E&P PROMOTION
Early in 2004, Ireland embarked on a concerted campaign to promote the E&P sector. This has involved…
Consultation with the Industry
Scheduling of Licensing Rounds
Participation in Conferences, Exhibitions and Workshops, and
the putting in place and execution of a ‘business plan’ to address geotechnical and other factors likely to act as barriers to entry, perceived or otherwise, during 2005

37. ‘Business Plan for Irish Oil & Gas Industry’
The ‘business plan’ includes the following:
geotechnical studies to determine the yet-to-find hydrocarbon
resources of Atlantic Ireland basins,
2) licensing, fiscal & commercial analyses to demonstrate that potential discoveries can be economically developed, and
3) marketing of Ireland as a prime place to explore for oil and gas to the benefit of both exploration companies and the host country
... goal is to help Ireland become self-sufficient in natural gas (and oil) by 2015/2020 !

38. ‘Business Plan for Irish Oil & Gas Industry’
Present status:
Petroleum systems analysis completed for Slyne, Erris, Donegal basins by PGS and ACECA. Substantial Yet-To-Find resource potential has been established.
A new assessment of seismic data quality west of Ireland shows that while variable, very significant uplifts can be achieved
Licensing and Regulatory frameworks have been reviewed mapped out; ways to streamline are identified; and an open and developing gas market is available.
NEXT STEP: beginning a regional resource evaluation of the other major Atlantic Ireland basins in October…

39. ‘Business Plan for Irish Oil & Gas Industry’ Triassic Palaeogeography
‘Business Plan for Irish Oil & Gas Industry’
Triassic Palaeogeography
N. Meadows, 2004

40. Welcome to… What Ireland has to offer: - Accessible data
- Growing local energy demand
- Developing infrastructure
- Favourable terms
- Acreage with good prospectivity
- An easy place to operate, and
- An exciting future…
Welcome to…

41. Welcome to…