Apply to Undertake Activities under a Petroleum Authorisation

Holders of exploration licences, petroleum prospecting licences or petroleum leases can apply to undertake activities under those authorisations. Such activities include seismic surveys and exploratory drilling.

Applications take the form set out in the Rules and Procedures for Offshore Petroleum Exploration and Appraisal Operations May 2014.

Applicants are required to submit one hard and one soft copy to:

The applicant must also provide evidence that the required consultees have been notified in accordance with the Rules and Procedures. Once an application is received, it undergoes a validation check to ensure that the necessary information has been included in the application.

On receipt of a valid application, the Geoscience Regulation Office places the application on the department website for consultation and refers the application, and any associated responses to the consultation, to the department’s Environment Advisory Unit (EAU) for the purposes of carrying out its assessments.

The Environmental Advisory Unit (EAU) in the department is responsible for carrying out environmental screening and any environmental assessments determined as being required following screening, in accordance with the requirements set out in Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU (EIA Directive) and Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive) in respect of applications made to the Minister for permission to undertake activities under an exploration licence or petroleum prospecting licence, or applications made to the Minister for the approval of the working of petroleum under a petroleum lease.

EIA

For activities under an exploration licence or petroleum prospecting licence, Regulations 3 and 4 of the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 134 of 2013), as amended by the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 124 of 2019) provide for the EIA screening and assessment procedures.

For applications made to the Minister by holders of a petroleum lease granted under Section 13 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 (the 1960 Act) for approval of the 'working of petroleum', Sections 13A and 13B of the Act provide for the EIA screening and assessment procedures.

Appropriate Assessment

The European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 – 15, as amended (Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations) give effect to the Habitats Directive as a matter of Irish law and require, inter alia, that a public authority carry out screening for Appropriate Assessment of a plan or project for which an application for consent is received. The EAU is responsible for carrying out AA screening assessments (and any required Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment) in accordance with the Regulations, in respect of applications to the Minister for permission to undertake activities under an exploration licence or petroleum prospecting licence, and in respect of applications made to the Minister for the approval of the working of petroleum under a petroleum lease.

On the completion of all environmental assessments by the EAU and after incorporating any suggested conditions which may be recommended by the EAU, the application will then undergo a technical evaluation by the Geoscience Regulation Office (GSRO) in this department. A recommendation is then made to the Minister regarding whether consent should be given to the application, who then makes a decision on the application.

• Environmental Assessments of Plans, Programmes and Projects - Rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union
• EIA guidance - Screening (2017)
• EIA guidance - Scoping (2017)
• EIA guidance - EIA report (2017)
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Appropriate Assessment (AA) Process Maps
• 2024 Prescribed Bodies List for Notification of Survey Activities

Current Applications for Statutory Petroleum Consent Notices

Ministerial Decisions on Statutory Petroleum Consent Notices