O'Keeffe Arranges Tamboran Dail Questioning

Tamboran Resources accepted my invitation to brief Oireachtas members at Leinster House on February 14 2012. This followed the first briefing I organised in  November, given by Dr Hans de Pater and the Fracking Research and Information Centre.

The meeting on February 14 2012 was attended by a number of anti-frackers, by members of the press and by members of the Western Development Commission.

The main speaker for Tamboran was its chief executive Richard Moorman.  He committed to makint the powerpoint presentation available on the company website www.tamboran.com Among the many things said at the briefing, Tamboran indicated the following:

1. There are no fracking opportunities in Co Sligo because the shale formation is unsuitable.
2. The prospects for Leitrim offer around 50 years of gas – according to Tamboran calculations.
3. Fracking is likely to start earlier in northern Ireland because the regulators “talk to each other”; the process is slower in the Republic. The Republic is at least a year behind in the process. There could be no actual drilling here for at least two years.
4. Alberta in Canada has been “drilled to bits” and there has not been a single incident there.
5. Barnett Shale is the most drilled shale in Texas – 6million people live in Fort Worth and they drink the local water; there are no problems with the ground water there.
6. Proper encasing of the wells will ensure that groundwater will not be affected by leaks of gas.
7. There will be no shortage of people wanting to work for the company; “we received 60 resumeés in two days after we announced the potential for drilling.” Between ten and 20 people will be hired in summer 2012 to continue with testing work
8. The company is privately owned now; Patrick Elliott is the major investor with 46% of the shares. Substantial  investors are now being sought. The company has just completed a round of “speed dating” with potential investors; a short list will be made now and final decisions made.  No indication was given as to who those investors might be.
9. The company has bought no land to date. It has had two meetings with Coillte.
10. Working with maps at the moment to identify where potential mining pads could be located. Scoping document for the Department of Environment must provide this detail.
11. Full energy security cannot be guaranteed but it could bring up to 50 years of energy.
12. A low percentage of Ireland’s water supply would be used for fracking and used water resulting from the fracking process can be recycled.
13. The company is “not in a hurry” to push this through – it wants to work with local communities and listen to what they have to say. Public consultation is important. The oil and gas industry has “changed completely” in the last ten years.
14. Many of the practices that people in Ireland are concerned about are out of date and are not envisaged in the fracking process here.
15. Yes, there have been incidents but these have been caused by operators “not being careful enough.”
16. “Sincere belief” that fracking will not interfere with agriculture. Sincere belief that the company will pursue the safest form of fracking using the best of modern technology to ensure this safety.
17. No chemicals will be added to the water used for fracking.
18. If there are problems “we will pay for the mess – that’s who we are; if we detect problems in a well, there would be immediate shutdown and we would junk the well.” We are an ethical company.
19. There is an opportunity for Ireland to adopt really good tight regulation and earn a reputation for a well-regulated country where fracking is safe.