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A STUDY BY UK based oil and gas exploration company Enegi has confirmed that a natural gas field in west Clare is a prospective site for shale gas with a potential 3.86 trillion cubic feet of shale gas.
The company was awarded a 100 per cent interest in an onshore licensing option covering an area of 495 square kilometres but as a condition it was required to undertake a work programme on areas of interest within the Clare Basin.
In a statement yesterday Enegi said that the results showed that “given the maturity, thickness and buried depth of the shale, the whole area under the option remains prospective for shale gas”.
The studies also highlighted an area within an existing seismic grid containing particularly a high grade, based on “the thickness of the shale and lack of faulting present”.
The company will now apply to the minister for an exploration license for the areas covered by the option before the end of February next year.
Extraction of the shale gas on the onshore site would involve fracking, a highly controversial technique whereby gas is extracted from pockets in the ground by pumping water and chemicals underground at high pressure to break the rocks and release the natural gas.
Opponents of the technique say the process could significantly impact on farming, tourism and groundwater supplies and a number of county councils across the country have already moved to ban fracking in their areas.
Of the estimated 3.86 trillion cubic feet of shale gas, the company said 526.4 billion cubic feet falls within the high grade area.
Commenting on the results of the report, CEO of Enegi Alan Minty said the findings have “endorsed management’s belief that the Clare Basin has a strong best case investment profile”.
“While these results are very encouraging, further exploration work is required to identify specific areas of prospectivity and potential future drilling targets,” he added.
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We will be spun a story about the economic benefits of this find?nBut we all know that the Irish people won’t see a penny of this but we will have the full effect of the environmental destruction it will bring?
There are no benefits whatsoever, economic, or otherwise of using fracking. If the Government allows this to happen, that will be the biggest regret of the country in years to come. The economy can be fixed; it is very hard to repair damage done to the natural World.
ah don’t worry our Labour party will protect Ireland’s Interests.
Herr rabbit will look after it!
in car any one I thought was serious I have ZERO confidence in Labour.
Herr Rabbit will sell the country out. Power is vastly more important than principle for Rabbit, Gilmore and co
a movie called “gasland” is worth a look. it highlights the environmental damage done by fracking in the US
Great movie
when you can set fire to your tap water you know something ain’t right!
I think that gas land and fracking are two separate subjects.
Declan gasland is a documentary on fracking you tool
Kevin, I stand corrected. I just googled Gasland. However the comment about gas coming out of someone’s faucet is something separate. Fracking is about getting oil out of shale deep below the surface. Also I’m aware of the potential effects on the water table by the chemicals used to get the oil out of the rock. So you might correct yourself on calling me a tool.
I never said gas came from the faucet! the chemicals used in fracking leaked into the public water supply and made the tap water highly flammable. try watching the movie before commenting and not just Googleing it.
Yea Declan I’m not going to “correct” myself. Your still a tool you can’t come on here pretending you know stuff that you don’t. Watch it and come back to us. Until then just be quiet when grown folks is talkin!
It will be on my Netflix queue soon. Good enough for you? :)
But it was reported to be natural gas?
Gasland is a movie, not a documentary. By all means watch it, it is fascinating. But please check all the facts in it as most are dubious claims at best. The creator has retracted a lot since
Not good
No, it is good. It might be dangerous/controversial and we probably won’t get a a good deal of the profits and the workers might be imported, but they will buy their breakfast rolls locally which will stimulate the local economy..
Happy F @#%ing days!
sarcasm…
Will the government choose the Burren or ‘The Barren’? Money on the latter with all the proceeds going to Enegi shareholders.
We cannot allow this craic to start! Its insanely dangerous!
Who’d be with me on goin to Clare and making sure this crap doesn’t happen
i live near enough to the site and even tho my town would benefit employment-wise im dead against it as are a lot of people i know i for one will do all i can to stop this from going ahead.
The problem Sarah is while people from the area may get jobs, they will be short term only. Building roads, access points, laying in the equipment etc. Any of the real important jobs will go to foreign contractors.
We’ll be raped by these companies and our environment destroyed, leaving us with the clean up bill!
No, we won’t be ‘raped’ because we won’t allow it to happen. If you have seen what people in the US or Australia have to put up with it’ll be clear to you that we have to do everything in our power to stop this industry. Given that there are three companies with licences covering hundreds and thousands of acres, it’s not something we can ignore and we all have to do our bit to ensure our campaign is a success. Believing that the industry will win will get us nowhere. Positive thinking, please!
”I read the news today oh boy 10,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire ‘ Whatever else about mouldy traffic lights @ hyde park corner ,A true sense of prophesy by young John son of the Lennon !!
Who gave permission. Guarantee it wasn’t the people of west Clare. Fracking is bad news.
Noel Dempsey of FF on his last day as Minister gave the go ahead for fracking.
You always know that that the people of this country are in for a right battering when even FF don’t risk doing something till the last day. The party that even cancer considers nasty.
It was Demise who signed it up, the fecker. I’d say he walked away with a big happy smile afterwards.
No official permission has been given for fracking as yet (that is to happen next year) but knowing our government it’s a matter of a nod and a wink and a few brown envelopes.
Good news. Ireland has few prospects of energy security. This might help.
And yes, fracking needs to be properly regulated.
What are the terms of the licence?
Usual terms I’d guess extract all the resources and take all the money with you.
I agree Hugh that Fracking has potential, it is case by case as the geological and local issues vary so much. However I have no faith in the licences granted by the last Govt. or this new Govt. to ensure that the welfare of Ireland or our economy is looked after. Like the Oil here, we’ll be one of the few nations in the world that insist on taking a pittance in return.
It doesn’t matter how much natural resources Ireland has, the thicks in Government and the crazy do gooders will find a way to make sure the ordinary people get no benefit from them whatsoever!
Regulated? Are you serious? Do you have any idea of the scale of this industry and what it involves? Have you seen what communities have to deal with? Even with the best regulations in the world, who would enforce? Regulators everywhere are cash strapped and undermanned to carry out the type of monitoring this industry requires. And the Irish EPA are in ‘no rush to prosecute business’, so said its Director General Laura Burke. Regulation is just something governments use to assuage the public’s fears. Besides the dangers fracking poses to our groundwater, the gas needs to stay in the ground if we are to have any chance of combating climate change.
I thought Clare co. co. banned fracking in its county development plan.
No not banned unfortunately
http://www.brianmeaney.ie/local-council-motions/2012-motions/clare-county-council/
Ah Jesus No
For frack sake!
I think the fundemental thing we need to examine is the Shannon river and all the other rivers in the area, they will be polliuted, local life will die , water will become contaminated to the point where you can light it on fire .
It scares me even thought I live in Dublin I hate to see this nation polluted
It is critically important that before a licence is granted that the mining company be banned from using fracking solutions that they aren’t willing to disclose the composition of. Not only have “proprietary” compounds been used in the US which contain god knows what, unscrupulous companies have used diesel, polluting the groundwater
It’s critically important that fracking is banned full stop.
I hope you understand the scale of this industry. The chemicals they use are only a small part of the whole process. Also, don’t forget that many shale formations contain NORM so regardless of what goes down what comes out will very likely be radioactive if test results of water from US households is anything to go by.
if they planted an area that size with hemp here the benefits would far out weigh that of any fossil fuels, but this govt. wouldn’t know anything about that.
That is exactly what we should be trying to do: propose alternatives to show the government that this gas is not needed for our ‘energy security’.
Go to utube and watch some videos on fracking in Pensilvania nothing good come from fracking. West Clare is a beautiful place this would destroy it.
I’ve researched it, and what i found was simply woeful & devastating.
West Clare is a prospective huge fracking site!!!!
I await the arrival of the Battlestar Galactica crew.
Wonder how much we’ll get out of it? Or will Pa Rarebit wrap it and and it over virtually as a present?
Anyway hopefully fracking is a good off yet.
SEE NO FRACKING IRELAND (ALL CAPS ON FACEBOOK) join up and have a voice we are the majority some petition links and info No Fracking Ireland -
support our call please sign and share the petition – http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-hydraulic-fracturing-for-natural-gas-in-ireland/sign.html
We also must help to secure a ban on fracking in NI -
The source of the river Shannon is in Fermanagh where they are also planning to frack.
Please sign and share this petition to ban fracking in NI http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/northern-ireland-no-fracking-required-here.htmland
thanks for the info Patrick
Also check out the website frackingfreeireland.org. There are regular newsletters and lots of other resources – downloadable petitions, ready-made presentations, logos to download, etc. Very useful site worth a visit.
I work with some fracking companies here in the states….fracking is a good technology for the states but it wont suit the irish landscape….or the road infrastructure plus nobody knows here the actual chemicals they use as its a secret plus a big problem here is unscrupulous truck drivers taking waste to old abandoned mines driving with a valve on their tankers opened so they get back quickly (pours into ditches) as they are paid by the load….that lad in Pennsylvania with the fire coming from his tap had his well bored into a gas field….up there in Penn and Ohio its so saturated in gas one can smell it as one walks around as its so abundant….the big question people need to ask is why bother….the price has collapsed….google Chesapeake and see what they are upto with gas
Frack away boyos !
Fracking is good.
Ah now we’ll have none of that trolling on here now.
Lets get fracking. Maybe it would be better to wait 10 years or so and observe how countries that are currently practising this are getting on.. Unfortunately whereas I can see the environmental point of view, we need fossil fuels for our basic survival.. But I think proceed with caution is the way forward. This technique has too many holes in it. Ok ill stop now..
You sound like the drunk at the bar..or the addict going for the last fix…which is quite apt as tears where Shale gas is on the resource pyramid.. near the bottom where we use almost as much energy to extract it as it gives us..
Fracking is spun by the industry as a revolution..reality is its the last kick..before fossil fuel retirement. With the news that the earth is warming even quicker than we thought the we need to put the brakes on now..
fracking eejit
Fracking in Clare or the Clare basin will destroy the environment, period. No if’s and’s or but’s about it. But these days the almighty dollar is more important than preserving the environment. You’ll have to build a desalinisation plant and public water system for drinking water, just for starters, which will increase taxes and be a burden or the remaining generations. Let them go frack underneath Buckingham Palace first, There is so much bullshit buried underneath there and the House of Commons in London, there should be a slug of gas there to light up the world for the next five lifetimes. Fracking Destroys.
See the trailer for Matt Damon’s new anti fracking movie ‘Promised Land’ on http://www.EcoHomesandGardens.ie … should be out in cinemas here around March. Then would be a good time to get the sleeping public aware with a national campaign outside every cinema and a good march in Ennis ! Ennis is well aware of what living with contaminated water is like … Remember Daniel O’Connell. Remember the Banner County !!!
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