Irish Atlantic margin
Irish Atlantic margin
Europa was awarded two exploration Licensing Options in the 2011
Irish
Atlantic Margin Licensing Round. The awards cover two four-block
parcels
in the Porcupine Basin, with a total area of approximately
2,000km2.
Europa submitted bids following a review of the prospectivity of
the Porcupine
Basin, situated off the west coast of Ireland. Previous drilling
in the basin led
to the discovery of Connemara, Spanish Point and Burren, thus
proving a viable
petroleum system. The focus is now on the potential for large
stratigraphic traps
in Cretaceous and younger submarine fan systems similar to those
that have
been highly successful elsewhere along the Atlantic Margins. The
awarded blocks,
in Quads 43 and 54, are situated on the margins of the Porcupine
Basin in water
depths between 700 and 2,000m. Licensing Options have modest work
programmes
for a two year period, with an option to convert into a 15 year
Frontier Exploration
Licence to undertake seismic and drilling operations.