No way EU regs will terminate N Sea30 Apr 2019 17:28
Fears over the EU drilling regulatory framework seem without merit. Surely all drilling offshore Ireland including the the Barryroe and Iolar drilling campaigns is subject to exactly the same EU regulatory framework as drilling in other EU waters including the UK, Danish and German sectors of the North Sea, the Baltic and the Adriatic. Countless wells have been drilled in these areas since the introduction of these new EU regulations. If these rules have not been sufficient to prevent drilling elsewhere in the EU it seems inconcieveable that they could prevent drilling offshore Ireland. If the companies involved are having trouble negotiating the process they can always draw on the experience of operators in the North Sea for guidance on how to comply with these regulations in a timely manner. If these regulations prevent the drilling of Barryroe and Iolar then they surely all further drilling in the UK, Danish and German North Sea, the Baltic, the Adriatic and all other waters within the EU's area of jurisdiction will have to be terminated immediately. Not going to happen.