Ireland-Scotland Platform

Commentary

We believe that the Irish government’s approach to the promotion of Ireland's declining hydrocarbon industry is both measured and fair. However, the opposition party has already voted to curtail fossil fuel exploration, and with elections pending, the Outlook remains Uncertain.

Updated

January 30, 2024

Location

Description

Ireland is almost completely surrounded by Upper Palaeozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary basins which collectively form the ISPB. Upper Palaeozoic (Carboniferous) basins occur onshore but only have gas potential in the northwest of the country. Basins lying offshore northeast and east of Ireland are typically Upper Palaeozoic to lower Mesozoic half-grabens containing 3 – 5km of pre-Middle Jurassic sediments. Source rocks occur in Upper Carboniferous coals and shales and, where encountered in the Kish Bank Basin, are mature for gas generation.

Summary

While the offshore West of Ireland portion of the basin has been relatively underexplored, the Irish Sea sections have been more extensively explored and developed. However, there remains significant prospectivity.