Report claims emission benefits from gas project
The Corrib gas field.
A study of Europa Oil & Gas’s planned Mayo offshore gas project has found that its expected emissions would be significantly lower than either domestically produced or imported gas currently used here, the company has said.
The independent research was conducted by Sustainlable, an advisory company that specialises in forecasting greenhouse-gas emissions associated with the oil and gas industry.
It was asked to re-assess expected emissions from the Inishkea West prospect in the Slyne Basin off the coast of North Mayo due to changes in the field’s estimated size and location. It found that Inishkea West gas would produce 2.8kg of carbon dioxide-equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent, where 1 barrel of oil equates to 6,000 standard cubic feet of gas. This is less than the 36kg from imported UK gas. It also compares favourably with the 5.3kg average for the Corrib gas field over its lifetime.
“This updated emissions report reinforces the importance of the gas resource at Inishkea West, which has the potential to eradicate the need for higher-emissions-intensity gas imports from the UK for up to three years, and would help Ireland meet its carbon emission reduction targets,” Will Holland, CEO of Europa, said.
The exploration firm, which has its headquarters in the UK, said the low emissions associated with the prospect were due to its proximity to the existing Corrib field as it was only 18km from the current infrastructure. The gas would be produced through an existing sub-sea pipeline and at the facilities already in place at Bellanaboy terminal.
