Fracking ruled out in Cavan

A Department official has ruled out the prospect of fracking in west Cavan and Leitrim.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, obtained Cabinet approval last month to introduce legislation to ban licences for new oil and natural gas exploration through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Amendment Bill.

The move was intended to give “legislative effect” to the commitment in the Programme for Government to end the issuing of new licences for the exploration and extraction of gas, on the same basis as the 2019 decision in relation to oil exploration and extraction.

According to the press statement: “The Minister gave effect to this commitment immediately, the Department no longer accepts new applications for exploration licences for natural gas or oil, nor will there be any future licensing rounds.”

However the same release concluded by outlining: “The legislative amendments will not affect existing authorisations, with applications for authorisations and activities remaining subject to technical, financial and environmental assessments as appropriate.”

Responding to a query fromThe Anglo-Celton the status of the licensing options previously awarded to two companies, Tamboran Resources and Lough Allen Natural Gas Company (LANGCO), a spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications confirmed they were no longer active.

“The are no authorisations for petroleum exploration or extraction onshore Ireland, including the Lough Allen Basin. The Licensing Options previously held by LANGCO and Tamboran Resources were deemed to have expired in 2013.”

The spokesperson further outlined: “In [the Republic of] Ireland the exploration for and extraction of onshore petroleum by means of hydraulic fracturing is prohibited in accordance with the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Act 2017.

“Additionally, in line with the 2019 Policy Statement – Petroleum Exploration and Production Activities as part of Ireland’s Transition to a Low Carbon Economy, the Department no longer accepts applications for onshore authorisations (including internal waters) for any form of conventional oil and gas exploration.”

However the position is not quite as clear cut in County Fermanagh. Despite widespread community and political opposition, Tamboran Resources remains interested in gas extraction.

Late last year, the Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, revealed that the Australian based company had revised its plans to instead use conventional horizontal drilling technology as opposed to fracking. Tamboran’s proposed drilling site is close to both Lough Macnean and Lough Melvin.

The North’s Economy Department has commissioned a £75,000 study examining the “economic, societal and environmental impacts of future onshore petroleum exploration and production”, which will include fracking.

That report is expected to inform future petroleum licensing policy, which would be brought to the North’s executive for a decision before the Tamboran licence application was decided.

In response to queries from The Anglo-Celt, a spokesperson for the Department for the Economy in the North said: “Research into the economic, societal and environmental impacts of future onshore petroleum exploration and production, including Unconventional Oil and Gas, in Northern Ireland is being undertaken by Hatch Regeneris. The multi-disciplinary consultancy has relevant experience in the area having undertaken similar research for the Welsh Government. The research is due to be completed by the end of April.”