FRACKING IN

Study by Cédric Stanghellini, EVS Erasmus+ Volunteer This document was updated in June 2016 Email enquiries regarding the re-use of this information to: [email protected] or [email protected] 2 Description of Northern Ireland

Capital: Language: English Area: 14,130 km² Population: 1,859,000

Political system: Part of United Kingdom Government: First Minister: Arlene Foster (DUP) Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness (SF) Legislature: Northern Ireland Assembly

The NI Assembly has some autonomy from Westminster

Link: Current economic indicators of Northern Ireland 3 Fracking in Northern Ireland

Division of competences between UK and NI

United Kingdom DECC – Department of Environment and Climate Change (soon to be transferred to the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority). Responsible for oil and gas licensing for: - Onshore in Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland); - Offshore in UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Northern Ireland DETI – Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Responsible for oil and gas licensing onshore in Northern Ireland.  Onshore extends to the Low Water Mark and includes internal waters ( and Lough), including its lakes for example Lough Neagh.

Westminster has not the competency to rule on onshore conventional and unconventional gas and oil in Northern Ireland. => Onshore development is within the competency of Northern Ireland. 4 Fracking in Northern Ireland

Mark H Durkan, Absence of special provisions for fracking NI Minister of the Environment since July 2013 The petroleum legislation doesn’t explicitly distinguish between conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons.  Only one type of licence. Position against fracking from the Environment There are no plans to introduce measures to develop Minister in August, 2014: shale gas or oil in NI as in England and Wales. “Significantly for the first time, no to fracking is However, there is no moratorium on High Volume actually enshrined in policy unless there is sufficient Hydraulic Fracturing in Northern Ireland. and robust evidence of its safety on all environmental impacts. I believe this is a sensible and reasonable approach”. The Department of the Environment NI, Strategic Policy Statement in September 2015, Section 6.157, page 78: “I have been consistently clear that no fracking will “However, in relation to unconventional hydrocarbon happen on my watch unless there is strong scientific extraction there should be a presumption against their evidence that it is safe for public health and the exploitation until there is sufficient and robust evidence environment.” on all environmental impacts.”

This is an oral declaration: Link: => Fracking still is possible in Strategic Planning Policy, Statement for Northern Northern Ireland. 5 Fracking in Northern Ireland

Main relevant texts and Authorities

Department of Environment (DOE)

A devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for the Environment. It is responsible for Planning Permission and Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Petroleum Production Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 Vests all rights and ownership of petroleum resources in Northern Ireland in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI).

The Petroleum Production Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 The Petroleum Production (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 The Hydrocarbon Licensing Directive Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 Any query in regard to the granting of necessary ancillary rights will be determined in accordance with the statutory provisions contained in the The Mineral Development Act (NI) 1969 which will be examined in further detail.

Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence (PEDL) Must be obtained in order to extract shale gas. Exploration and production activities are subject to a range of drilling and development consents, planning permissions, health and safety and environmental requirements. 6 Drilling in Northern Ireland Link: DETI – Current Licences

Link: DETI – Oil and Gas Exploration in Northern Ireland

Ballinlea

Woodburn Forest

Belcoo 7 Company: Providence Resources Licence onshore PL5/10 & RATHLIN BASIN Licence offshore P1885 2011: Licence onshore in Rathlin Island awarded by DETI, NI Minister. Licence offshore around Rathlin Island awarded by DECC, UK Minister, during the 26th Seaward.

June 2013: Providence Resources submits a planning application for a second well in Rathlin Island. => No response from DETI.

2014: Providence Resources relinquished the onshore Licence without drilling.

May 2015: To minimize ongoing costs, Providence announced that it had relinquished c. 70% of P1885, retaining what it considers to be the most prospective Project Polaris: Licence zone location offshore area over the Polaris prospect. No fracking Licence offshore (unofficial map) is planned. Project Rathlin Island: Link: Link: Link: Licence onshore DECC – Offshore Oil & Providence Protect our North Gas Licensing, 26th Resources Projects in Coast – Anti-drilling Seaward Round Rathlin Basin organisation 8 Licence PL3/10 (Rathlin Basin)

Company: Rathlin Energy Licence PL3/10

2011: Rathlin Energy has a Petroleum License for 5 years.

2008: First well drilled => Recovered crude oil, although not in commercial quantities.

2013: Planning application submitted for the second well including the use of fracking, but not HVHF. => No response from DETI.

October 2015: Rathlin Energy gives notice to terminate their Licence.

Licence zone location (unofficial map) Rathlin Energy arguments: “The immediate cause for our decision is the length and complexity of the process Link: Link: Link: for securing planning permission for the Rathlin Energy Frack-off.org Petroleum Licence – Website – Website Documents second exploration well”. 9 Licence PL2/10 (Lough Company: Tamboran Resources Licence PL2/10 Allen Basin, North) April 2011: Tamboran Resources was granted a Petroleum Licence for an initial five years period from DETI to explore for natural gas in Co. Fermanagh. The proposed drill was in a quarry.  Area along the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border.

July 2014: Tamboran Resources announced its intentions to drill a ‘scientific’ borehole to collect rock samples. =>Tamboran applied for permission to drill under “Permitted Development” clause, which would not require full Planning Permission and Environmental Impact Assessment.

When fracking will take place: In 2011 Tamboran Resources said: “We will be testing for natural gas, which would involve the technique of hydraulic fracturing”. In July 2014, the proposed drilling did not include fracking. Licence zone location (unofficial map) Company’s arguments: “This project could deliver up to 50 years of secure energy supply, in excess of 2,000 Link: Link: Link: jobs and billions of much needed investment in the Tamboran Resources Tamboran Resources Frack-off.org – – Press releases – Information leaflet Belcoo local economy”. 10 Licence PL2/10 (Lough Allen Basin, North)

Project stopped

August 2014: DETI refused to renew the licence to drill a single test borehole to determine if there are viable deposits of shale gas.

DOE asked for Environmental Placards, posters and banners on gate around the drilling area Impact Assessment. However the Licence period ended in An important local campaign September 2014.

The population living near Belcoo opposed this project. People didn’t want fracking. Licence was The anti-fracking campaign was terminated by DETI. Further supported in neighboring counties. drilling not permitted.

Co. Fermanach is bordered by Counties Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan => Environment impacts could be on both sides of the border. Link: 11 InfraStrata.com - Licence PL1/10 (Central Larne - Lough Neagh Basin) Drilling details

Link: InfraStrata.com - Company: InfraStrata Licence details Licence PL1/10 2011: InfraStrata was granted an exploration licence by DETI for a 663 square kilometer area covering the south-east of Co. Antrim.

2012: After two seismic surveys they decided to drill a well at the Woodburn Forest site, 2.7km north of Carrickfergus (near to Belfast). Belfast March 2016: InfraStrata confirmed that construction of the wellsite, from Licence zone location which the company will carry out conventional exploratory (unofficial map) drilling, at Woodburn Forest has begun with clearing of the site. => Drilling commenced in May 2016.

Unconventional (directional) drilling and the use of fracking are explicitly ruled out by the company. March 2016: “the exploration is conventional and will not at any time involve hydraulic fracturing”. 12 Licence PL1/10 (Central Larne - Lough Neagh Basin)

Water supply pollution Drill abandoned

Drilling was permitted 350m from the North Woodburn Water Reservoir, which is the June 2016: drinking water source for 131,000 people, InfraStrata drilled 2,000 meters including Belfast city. underground at Woodburn Forest but

=> A public water company has leased land found water instead of oil in their for exploration drilling. two target rock formations. => The well must now be plugged and abandoned.

=> But other wells could be drilled in the licence area: Press Release from InfraStrata said: “the joint venture will now fully evaluate the data collected in the Drilling rig in well and decide where to focus its Woodburn forest future exploration activity in the basin”.

Anti-drilling rally in Woodburn Forest Link: Link: The site is secured, entailing some costs to protect the Press Release - Frack-off.com – interests of InfraStrata. InfraStrata.com Woodburn Forest