As oil and gas companies gear up their offshore exploration in Irish waters, the
Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, has said the Government will insist that a balance be struck between their activities and the need to protect the environment.
At the launch of an environmental appraisal of the south-west coast published by six exploration companies, the Minister said the document, which would assist planning for the region, indicated that the industry was going in the right direction. She believed it would also achieve commercial success.
The study finds that apart from the Shannon, waters in the area are generally unpolluted. The publication coincides with the recent start-up of exploration activity in the Porcupine Basin off the south-west coast. Marathon, with others, began drilling this week, while Total began earlier this month. Statoil began producing oil two weeks ago from the Connemara field.
The appraisal describes resources and environmental sensitivities in the south-west coast and offshore areas. It outlines fisheries, natural recreational facilities, and coastline features from Mizen Head to Loop Head, including seabed habitats and known sources of pollution. The coastline from Howth Head south and around to Malin Head has now been evaluated.
Its six sponsoring companies - Marathon, BHP Petroleum, Chevron, Statoil,
Occidental and Total - have licences to explore the Porcupine Basin. The sector has a duty to minimise the impact their activities have on the environment, according Mr Duane Deines, president of Marathon International Petroleum
Ireland. He described the area as of "breathtaking beauty with considerable conservation value". To protect it, industry and the appropriate authorities routinely carried out emergency response drills.
The study by the British-based Oil Pollution Research Unit and Natural
Environmental Consultants finds that, the Shannon apart, waters in the area are generally unpolluted. "Existing pollution sources are mainly sewage discharges
(most of which are either untreated or have only undergone primary treatment)
and litter from shipping."
Large oil spills have occurred in the past within Bantry Bay. The study evaluates the region's oil spill response capability. Regional emergency response plans drawn up by local authorities have little in them "directly relevant to oil spills" but local authorities and industries on the Shannon have an anti-pollution team with an updated oil spill contingency plan.
Mr Deines paid tribute to Ms O'Rourke's "astonishing grasp of the oil business" and predicted she would be good for the Irish oil exploration industry. It remains to be seen, however, if it will come directly under her ambit or that of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
Speaking to The Irish Times, she said the matter was "not yet fully delineated". It was for the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to sort out. She expected this would be done within the next week.
