Exploring off Ireland – A Difficult and Unforgiving Environment

Exploration off the coast of Ireland is a challenging undertaking and a high-risk business from both a practical and financial perspective.

In the North Sea water depths are relatively shallow and wind and waves are less extreme than off the Irish coast. Most importantly, the large number of commercial discoveries has created an infrastructure of pipelines, installation and support facilities. This means that relatively small discoveries can be tied into the existing infrastructure, reducing the capital costs of development.


In stark contrast, the west coast of Ireland has hostile environmental conditions, deep waters, no offshore infrastructure and embryonic support facilities. The average cost of drilling a single deep water exploration well off the west coast of Ireland exceeds $70 million. A discovery off the West Coast therefore carries a disproportionately high capital cost before a single cubic metre of gas or barrel of oil is brought ashore.

The Celtic Sea can be developed quicker and at less cost. Environmental conditions are more forgiving in the Celtic Sea and some infrastructure is already in place in the region, meaning that small discoveries are more likely to be commercially viable.


Water Depths
In contrast to southern areas of the North Sea and the Celtic Sea, the west coast of Ireland has very deep waters and a heavy swell. This makes exploration and development off the West Coast very challenging.


















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