EN Official Journal of the European Union C 165/28

Communication from Ireland pursuant to Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons

(Announcement of 2007 Licensing Round — Porcupine Basin)

(2007/C 165/09)

In accordance with Article 3, paragraph 2(a) of the above mentioned Directive, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources hereby gives notice of a change in regard to areas available for licensing offshore Ireland. Applications are invited for Frontier Exploration Licences in the Porcupine Basin.

An area covering 229 full blocks and 3 part-blocks in the Porcupine Basin has been designated a Frontier Area and has been selected for inclusion in a Petroleum Exploration Licensing Round. Until 18 December 2007, the closing date of the Round, no Exploration Licence or Licensing Option will be issued in respect of any of the blocks in the Round.

Applications may be made for a maximum of three blocks in the north of the basin and for a maximum of six blocks in the south of the basin.

Available blocks in the North of the Porcupine Basin (84 full blocks, 3 part)

25/25, 25/30

26/16, 26/17, 26/18, 26/19, 26/20, 26/21, 26/22, 26/23, 26/24, 26/25, 26/26, 26/27(p), 26/29, 26/30

34/4, 34/5, 34/9, 34/10, 34/14, 34/15, 34/18, 34/19, 34/20, 34/23, 34/24, 34/25, 34/28, 34/29, 34/30

35/1, 35/2(p), 35/3(p), 35/4, 35/5, 35/6, 35/7, 35/10, 35/11, 35/12, 35/13, 35/14, 35/15, 35/16, 35/17, 35/18, 35/19, 35/20, 35/21, 35/22, 35/23, 35/24, 35/25, 35/26, 35/27, 35/28, 35/29, 35/30

36/1, 36/6, 36/11, 36/16, 36/21, 36/22, 36/26, 36/27

43/3, 43/4, 43/5, 43/8, 43/9, 43/10

44/1, 44/2, 44/3, 44/4, 44/5, 44/6, 44/7, 44/8, 44/9, 44/10

45/1, 45/2, 45/6, 45/7.

Available blocks in the South of the Porcupine Basin (145 full blocks)

43/12, 43/13, 43/14, 43/15, 43/17, 43/18, 43/22, 43/23, 43/27, 43/30

44/11, 44/12, 44/13, 44/14, 44/15, 44/16, 44/17, 44/19, 44/20, 44/21, 44/22, 44/25, 44/26, 44/27, 44/28

45/11, 45/12, 45/16, 45/17, 45/21, 45/22, 45/23, 45/24, 45/26, 45/27, 45/28, 45/29, 45/30

52/1, 52/2, 52/3, 52/4, 52/5, 52/6, 52/7, 52/8, 52/9, 52/10, 52/11, 52/12, 52/13, 52/14, 52/15, 52/16, 52/17, 52/18, 52/19, 52/20, 52/21, 52/22, 52/23, 52/24, 52/25, 52/26, 52/27, 52/28, 52/29, 52/30

53/1, 53/2, 53/3, 53/4, 53/5, 53/6, 53/7, 53/8, 53/9, 53/10, 53/11, 53/12, 53/13, 53/14, 53/15, 53/16, 53/17, 53/18, 53/19, 53/20, 53/21, 53/22, 53/23, 53/24, 53/25, 53/26, 53/27, 53/28, 53/29, 53/30

54/1, 54/2, 54/3, 54/4, 54/5, 54/6, 54/7, 54/8, 54/9, 54/10, 54/11, 54/12, 54/13, 54/14, 54/15, 54/16, 54/17, 54/18, 54/19, 54/20, 54/21, 54/22, 54/23, 54/24, 54/26, 54/27, 54/28, 54/29

60/2, 60/3, 60/4, 60/5, 60/8, 60/9, 60/10

61/1, 61/2, 61/3, 61/4, 61/5, 61/6, 61/7, 61/8, 61/9, 61/10

62/1, 62/2.

A map of the area along with the specific requirements and guidelines for applications and for this Licensing Round are available on the following website

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Natural/Petroleum+Affairs+Division/Porcupine+2007+Frontier+Licensing+Round.htm

or by contacting:

Des Byrne Petroleum Affairs Division Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Leeson Lane Dublin 2 Ireland Email: Des.Byrne@dcmnr.ie Telephone: (353-1) 678 26 93

Criteria for consideration of applications

In considering an application the Minister will have regard to the need for expeditious, thorough, efficient and safe exploration to identify Ireland's oil and gas resources with due regard to environmental considerations. The Minister will take the following into account having regard to the authorisation applied for:

(a) the work programme proposed by the applicant;

(b) the technical competence and offshore experience of the applicant;

(c) the financial resources available to the applicant; and

(d) where relevant, previous performance by the applicant under any authorisations to which the applicant has been a party.

Applications should be clearly marked ‘2007 Licensing Round — Porcupine Basin’ on the outside and should be addressed to ‘The Secretary General, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Petroleum Affairs Division, Leeson Lane, Dublin 2, Ireland’by 12PM (GMT) on Tuesday 18 December 2007.

The receipt of an application will not create an obligation on the part of the Minister to grant a Licence in respect of part or all of the area that is the subject of the application. Decisions on applications will be made by 31 January 2008.

In accordance with Article 5, paragraphs 1(a) and 1(b) of the above mentioned Directive, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources hereby gives notice that authorisations will be awarded on the relative strength of the work programmes offered, with particular emphasis on a programme's appropriateness for evaluating hydrocarbon prospectivity and preparing the acreage for exploration drilling.