EN Official Journal of the European Union C 329/27

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 2009 Licensing Round — Rockall Basin)

(2008/C 329/13)

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 Rockall Basin.

An area covering 477 full blocks, 44 part blocks in the Rockall Basin has been designated a Frontier Area and has been selected for inclusion in a Petroleum Exploration Licensing Round. Until 22 April 2009, 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 for Licences should be principally for regular-shaped, continuous areas in the acreage covered by the Round. Licence applications should comprise areas that are equivalent to not less than two and not more than eight complete blocks.

Available blocks:

1/6(p), 1/7(p), 1/8(p), 1/9(p), 1/10(p), 1/11, 1/12, 1/13, 1/14, 1/15, 1/16, 1/17, 1/18, 1/19, 1/20, 1/21, 1/22, 1/23, 1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 1/28, 1/29, 1/30

2/6(p), 2/7(p), 2/8(p), 2/9(p), 2/11, 2/12, 2/13, 2/14, 2/15(p), 2/16, 2/17, 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/21, 2/22, 2/23, 2/24, 2/25, 2/26, 2/27, 2/28, 2/29, 2/30

3/11(p), 3/12(p), 3/13(p), 3/14(p), 3/15(p), 3/16, 3/17, 3/18, 3/19, 3/20, 3/21, 3/22, 3/23, 3/24, 3/25, 3/26, 3/27, 3/28, 3/29, 3/30

4/11(p), 4/12(p), 4/13(p), 4/16, 4/17, 4/18(p), 4/19(p), 4/20(p), 4/21, 4/22, 4/23, 4/24, 4/25, 4/26, 4/27, 4/28, 4/29, 4/30

5/16(p), 5/17(p), 5/18(p), 5/19(p), 5/20(p), 5/21, 5/22, 5/23, 5/24, 5/25(p), 5/26, 5/27, 5/28, 5/29, 5/30

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

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

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

11/1, 11/2, 11/3, 11/4, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7, 11/8, 11/9, 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, 11/14, 11/16, 11/17, 11/18, 11/19, 11/21, 11/22, 11/23(p), 11/26, 11/27, 11/28(p)

12/2(p), 12/3(p), 12/4, 12/7(p), 12/8(p), 12/11(p), 12/12(p)

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

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

18/1, 18/2, 18/3, 18/4, 18/5, 18/6, 18/7, 18/8, 18/9, 18/11, 18/12, 18/13, 18/14(p), 18/15(p), 18/16, 18/17, 18/18, 18/19(p), 18/21, 18/22, 18/26, 18/27

19/2(p), 19/11(p)

25/1, 25/2, 25/3, 25/4, 25/5, 25/6, 25/7

26/1, 26/2, 26/3, 26/4, 26/5

27/1

73/1

74/1, 74/2, 74/3, 74/6, 74/7, 74/8, 74/11, 74/12, 74/13, 74/16, 74/17, 74/18, 74/21, 74/22, 74/23, 74/26, 74/27

75/1, 75/2, 75/3, 75/4, 75/5, 75/6, 75/7, 75/8, 75/9, 75/10, 75/11, 75/12, 75/13, 75/14, 75/15, 75/16, 75/17, 75/18, 75/19, 75/21, 75/22, 75/23, 75/26, 75/27, 75/28

76/1, 76/2, 76/3, 76/4, 76/5, 76/6, 76/7, 76/8, 76/9, 76/10, 76/11, 76/12, 76/13, 76/14, 76/15, 76/16, 76/17, 76/18, 76/19, 76/20, 76/21, 76/22, 76/23, 76/24, 76/25, 76/26, 76/27, 76/28, 76/29, 76/30

77/1, 77/2, 77/3, 77/4, 77/5, 77/6, 77/7, 77/8, 77/9, 77/10, 77/11, 77/12, 77/13, 77/14, 77/15, 77/16, 77/17, 77/18, 77/19, 77/20, 77/21, 77/22, 77/23, 77/24, 77/25, 77/26, 77/27, 77/28, 77/29, 77/30

78/15(p), 78/19, 78/20, 78/23, 78/24, 78/25, 78/27, 78/28, 78/29, 78/30

80/10, 80/14, 80/15, 80/19, 80/20, 80/23, 80/24, 80/25, 80/28, 80/29, 80/30

81/2, 81/3, 81/4, 81/5, 81/7, 81/8, 81/9, 81/10, 81/12, 81/13, 81/14, 81/15, 81/17, 81/18, 81/19, 81/20, 81/22, 81/23, 81/24, 81/25, 81/27, 81/28, 81/29, 81/30

82/2, 82/3, 82/4, 82/5, 82/7, 82/8, 82/9, 82/10, 82/12, 82/13, 82/14, 82/15, 82/17, 82/18, 82/19, 82/20, 82/22, 82/23, 82/24, 82/25, 82/27, 82/28, 82/29, 82/30

83/2, 83/3, 83/4, 83/5, 83/7, 83/8, 83/9, 83/10, 83/11, 83/12, 83/13, 83/14, 83/15, 83/16, 83/17, 83/18, 83/19, 83/20, 83/21, 83/22, 83/23, 83/24, 83/25, 83/26(p), 83/27(p), 83/28(p), 83/29, 83/30

84/4, 84/5

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

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Natural/Petroleum+Affairs+Division/Rockall+2009+Frontier+Licensing+Round.htm

or by contacting:

Des Byrne Petroleum Affairs Division Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 29-31 Adelaide Road Dublin 2 Ireland E-mail: Des.Byrne@dcenr.ie Tel. (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;

(d) the applicant's policy to health, safety and the environment; and

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

Applications should be clearly marked ‘2009 Licensing Round — Rockall Basin’ on the outside and should be addressed to:

‘The Secretary General Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Petroleum Affairs Division 29-31 Adelaide Road Dublin 2 Ireland’

by 12 p.m. (GMT) on Wednesday, 22 April 2009.

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. It is expected that decisions on applications will be made by end June 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. In considering an application the following scoring system will apply:

(a) the overall approach to the proposal to undertake an offshore exploration programme — 15 Marks;

(b) the quality of the work programme proposed by the applicant (marks will only be awarded for firm commitments made) — 40 Marks;

(c) the level of technical competence and offshore experience of the team that will manage and conduct the exploration programme — 30 Marks;