Providence Resources, together with 50:50 partner Petronas of Malaysia, have secured the licence for an area in the Kish Bank Basin offshore Dublin that will at last enable it to drill the Dalkey Island oil prospect off Dublin.
The award by the Irish Department of Environment, Community and Local Government allows the carrying out of 2D seismic, a well-site survey, as well as the drilling of an exploration well on the Dalkey Island prospect.
Previous exploration drilling in the Kish Bank Basin has confirmed the potential for petroleum generation with oil shows seen in a number of wells together with natural hydrocarbon seeps recorded from airborne surveys.
New analysis of vintage 2D seismic data has revealed the presence of a large undrilled structural closure at Lower Triassic level situated some 10km offshore Dublin. According to Providence, this target may be prospective for oil, as there are productive reservoirs nearby in Liverpool Bay.