Shell In Ireland - Radio Documentry

kerry | environment | opinion/analysis Tuesday March 20, 2007 23:38 by seashell

In 1996, what we know today as the Corrib Natural Gas Field was discovered by Enterprise Oil, which was subsequently acquired by Shell in 2002.

The Shell oil company had entered into talks with An Bord Pleanála about securing planning permission for a gas pipeline through north Mayo.

The discussions were reported to have been taking place under the new Strategic Infrastructure Act, which aims to speed up the delivery of such a project.

The talks which took place were what are termed 'pre-application discussions' under the new Strategic Infrastructure Act.

The act came into force at the end of January and Shell lodged its application for talk’s just days later on February 8th.

Permission to construct a gas pipeline had been subject to the granting of an order from Communications and Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey.

However it is understood the impact of the new Act is that any pipeline from the shoreline to any terminal requires the sole permission of An Bord Pleanála.

Last month Shell Ireland appointed an engineering consultancy firm to help find an alternative route for the controversial Corrib Gas pipeline.

The Corrib project is led by Shell Ireland with partner companies Statoil and Marathon.

Shell said in January 2007 that it intends to modify the planned route, which has been strongly opposed by local landowners and residents on health and safety grounds.

In a statement, it appealed for a process of community consultation and dialogue to find the best route for the onshore pipeline.

Responding to the move, the Shell to Sea campaign group said it remained totally opposed to any plan to bring the gas pipeline ashore, and it again called on Shell to process the gas at sea.

It said a production pipeline presented far too great a hazard from a health and safety point of view ever to be accepted by those living in the area.

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