Isle of Man launches offshore licence round
The Isle of Man’s Department of Economic Development has opened an offshore licensing round.
This coincides with the UK 30th offshore round, which includes the Irish Sea area where the island is located, allowing exploration teams to take an overall view of the potential of the region.
The closing date for applications is the 10th December 2017.
Lawrie Hooper MHK, Department Member with responsibility for Energy Policy, said: “The subsurface of the seabed is an amazing natural resource which if harnessed could generate a significant source of revenue and help to further diversify the economy.”
The department’s technical advisor British Geological Survey (BGS) has opened a data room for interested parties to view Isle of Man seismic data at its offices in Edinburgh.
Darren Jones, Petroleum Geologist at BGS, said: “The opening of the Isle of Man licensing round represents a great opportunity for developers. This acreage has not been looked at for more than 20 years, when gas was identified but not extracted.
“Since then, there have been huge technological advances which mean any hydrocarbons in Isle of Man territorial seas may now be economically viable.”
Interested parties should contact Dave Roberts, the Department’s Development Manager for Infrastructure, to request an application pack: dave.roberts@gov.im or +44 1624 687184.