Waters Off the Irish coast, large deposits of oil and natural gas – hydrocarbons – exist under the seabed. Ireland has the right to claim any resources such as these found off our coast up to a distance of twelve miles. That equals nearly 90 million hectares of seabed to explore.
Where are Ireland’s Oil and Gas Deposits?
Ireland has offshore (at sea) and onshore (on land) sites to explore for oil and gas. Figure 3 shows sixteen locations, but there are in excess of sixty locations under investigation for gas discovery already around the Irish coast. The Irish government grants licences to multinational (operating in more than one country) companies, such as Shell and Providence, to explore for oil and gas.
Dooish gas discovery
Already exploited oil and gas Oil and gas discovery
Potential oil and gas discovery Corrib gas field Lough Allen gas field Bellanaboy gas terminal Bandon oil discovery
1. Looking at the map in figure 3, locate and name the four sites already being exploited for gas.
2. Where is the majority of oil and gas exploration happening? Why do you think there is no exploration labelled on the map off the northern coast?
Connemara oil field
Spanish Point oil discovery Burren oil discovery
Clare Basin gas shales Shannon gas terminal Dunmore oil discovery Helvick oil field Ballycotton gas field Kinsale Head gas field Ballyroe oil and gas discovery 56 Seven Heads gas field 3. The location of some of Ireland’s oil and gas deposits Dalkey/Kish oil prospect
