The company behind plans to drill for gas in Manx waters has acquired a second licence in an area containing the undeveloped Ronaldsway gas field.
Despite its name, the field is to the East of the Irish Sea, near to the coast of Blackpool and Barrow-in-Furness.
The company announced this morning that the North Sea Transition Authority has approved the assignment of 100% legal and beneficial working interest to Crogga (UK) Ltd of a sub-area of the UK Seaward Innovate Production Licence P2490
As a result of this, Crogga (UK) Ltd says it has acquired block 110/9c from Burgate Exploration & Production Ltd and is now a UK Licenced Operator and plans to appoint Three60 Energy as its well operator.
The company said: “Following a three month due diligence process with the NST, Crogga (UK) Ltd and the parent Crogga Energy have achieved accreditation.
“This from an organisation that is recognised as probably the most highly respected regulatory authority of oil, gas and carbon capture operations in the world.”
UK First
Crogga’s CEO Richard Hubbard confirmed that the company plans to to drill the UKCS Ronaldsway appraisal well late in 2025 and subject to
international standard drilling regulations being available in the Isle of Man, then move the rig to drill the IOM Independence appraisal well off the coast of Maughold.
He told Manx.News: “The Ronaldsway gas field is very similar to the Crogga gas field. This one was discovered by BG, British Gas, rather than BP, British Petroleum years ago, and has never really been followed up.
“But we look at it and I know quite a lot about the technical side of it all, and just as we do in the Isle of Man, we believe we can make this a commercial gas field.
“It has the benefit that it’s very close to the production facilities in Barrow-in-Furness so it will be a short time to market between drilling appraisal well, to confirm its commercial and taking that gas to market.”
Mr Hubbard said that the difference between working with the UK and the Isle of Man was seen by the difference in time it took to agree the necessary documentation, which he said was “three months versus six years”.
Comfort
Mr Hubbard added that the company hopes that it will be able to use the UK well not only as a commercial enterprise, but to “comfort” decision makers in the Manx government that it can do what it says it can.
The CEO also said that he is “on board” with the move to cleaner energy, something which Crogga itself says it wants to do in due course, but that gas will be the fossil fuel that is used during the transition to cleaner energy.
He said: “It’s not like you switch off fossil fuels one day and it’s renewable the next day. It’s a 50 bus year transition.”
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