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Corrib Natural Gas General Overview
The Corrib gas project is one of the most significant engineering projects ever undertaken in Ireland. Located some 83 kilometres off the northwest coast of County Mayo, this medium sized gas field will be developed as a subsea ‘tie-back’ facility, connected by a pipeline to an onshore processing terminal located approximately 9 kilometres inland.
Overview
Broadhaven Bay
The Corrib Field was discovered in 1996 by Enterprise Energy Ireland Ltd, which was subsequently acquired by Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL) in 2002.
The Corrib Gas Partners are Shell E&P Ireland Limited (45% - Project Operators), Statoil Exploration (Ireland) Limited (36.5%) and Vermilion Energy (18.5%).
There are four main components to the Corrib gas project; they include the offshore sub-sea infrastructure at the Corrib field, the offshore pipeline, the onshore pipeline and the onshore gas-processing terminal located at Bellanaboy Bridge in County Mayo.
While significant progress has been made on all four elements of the project, some challenges have been encountered along the way.
Corrib controversy
The Corrib gas pipeline was at the centre of much controversy in 2005 when a small number of local landowners refused to allow Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL) to proceed with construction work relating to the onshore section of pipeline.
In an effort to resolve the situation, the Irish Government appointed international consultants, Advantica, to conduct an independent safety review of the onshore pipeline. In their report published in May 2006, Advantica concluded “proper consideration was given to safety issues in the selection process for the preferred design option and the locations of the landfall, pipeline and terminal”.
The Corrib Gas Partners accepted the findings of the Independent Safety Review and committed to fully adhering to all recommendations which included limiting the pressure in the onshore section of the pipeline to 144 bar - less than half the original design pressure of the pipeline.
Also in 2005, the Irish Government appointed an independent mediator, Mr Peter Cassells. His report recommended that the route of the onshore section of the Corrib Gas Pipeline be modified. The Corrib Gas Partners again accepted this recommendation and appointed RPS consultants to identify a suitable modified route. A new route for the onshore pipeline was identified following a 14-month selection process, which involved 11 months of public consultation. The modified route is twice as far from occupied housing compared to the original route.
In 2008, local fishermen raised concerns regarding the treated produced water leaving the terminal and entering the bay where they fish. This produced water will be cleaned to the highest standards and our plans had full regulatory approval and are consistent with the highest international and EU environmental standards. Nevertheless, following discussions with the fishermen, the Corrib gas partners agreed to discharge the water at the Corrib field 83km offshore at an additional cost to the project of several million euro.
In these three instances, the Corrib Gas Partners have shown a real willingness to respond to genuine community concerns. We believe that we have done everything reasonable to address issues raised by local community and will continue to listen their concerns.
In November 2008, the Irish Government established a Community Forum for Development in North West Mayo to bring together politicians, community groups, protesters and Shell representatives. While some local groups have not yet participated in the forum, the initiative did lead to face to face talks between Government ministers, Shell and two community groups; Pobal Chill Chomain and Pobal le Chéile.
We continue to seek dialogue and a way forward that allows us to complete the project – which has the necessary legal approvals and community support and is in the wider interests of Irish society.
Community benefits
Construction workers at Bellanaboy Terminal
In order to demonstrate our commitment to making sure the project benefits the local community, the Corrib Gas Partners have launched various social investment initiatives including a 3rd Level Scholarships Programme, a significant Local Grants Programme and the Erris Development Fund – a long-term fund that will operate throughout the life of the Corrib gas field.
In late 2007, Goodbody Economic Consultants carried out an assessment of the project. They concluded that Corrib would create over 800 jobs during the construction phase and approximately 130 permanent jobs would be created in the local area thereafter.
As a result of the Corrib project, Bord Gais Eireann plans to connect 12 towns in Mayo and Galway to the national gas grid.
Corrib gas project Summer 2010 update (PDF, 279 KB) - opens in new window