Ireland2 Oct 2022 20:57
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) is carrying out the sixth Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment (IOSEA6), which involves a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) of the Plan for issue of Petroleum Exploration and Production Authorisations in Irish Offshore Waters for the period to 2030.
This Plan will set out the proposed approach to the issuing of petroleum authorisations, and the consideration of the possible offshore exploration activities that could take place under such authorisations, following the decision to end the issuing of licences for new exploration and extraction, and the subsequent placing of this commitment on a statutory footing on commencement of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 on 7 September 2021.
The Plan will provide an operational baseline which can be supplied to exploration companies who hold existing authorisations and are working offshore, against which they can conduct their work and ensure the protection of the marine environment. This will include descriptions of the types of offshore activity that may take place over the duration of the Plan, such as 2D seismic acquisition, 3D seismic acquisition, and drilling of wells.