An MHK has criticised the Chief Minister for his handling of the now-terminated Crogga gas exploration licence.
Chris Thomas has accused Alf Cannan of prioritising shareholder interests over the national interest and delaying the potential development.
Mr Thomas argued that the Chief Minister’s involvement had delayed progress, stating:
“The crucial point is those three outstanding issues were already obvious in 2023, and the sad reality is, the Chief Minister has delayed the exploitation of our gas field.”
Handling of Crogga
However, he also pointed out that “it’s been an obligation for the Crogga operator to have a 3D seismic survey since, well, for four or five years now. I think that’s the norm that investors expect”.
Mr Thomas pointed to his sacking as minsiter last year, saying this was “because the Chief Minister wanted to chair the meeting on the Monday with Crogga that I’d arranged”.
He said: “The Chief Minister got too interested in the shareholders and the commercial aspects of Crogga, not so much in the national interest.”
Declared
Mr Thomas did not dispute Minister Michelle Haywood’s role in the ending of the licence but questioned the political handling of the situation.
He said: “Dr Haywood in her interview this morning was very good about this. People think that, as she has a pre-declared position as a greenie, as a net-zero person, that she made a decision from that point of view.
“She said, categorically, ‘I made this objectively, according to the conditions of the license and our experience of the operation of the license’.”
Transitional
Mr Thomas told Manx.News of his his support for gas exploration, saying gas, is a “transition fuel”.
He added: “If we have a commercially exploitable resource in the Maughold field, which we do have, and if the flow rate is right, and if it can be exploited, I do think it should be as part of our transition.”
Looking ahead, Mr Thomas believes the gas field should still be developed.
He said: “My conclusion is we need a 21st-century approach, and government should be looking to re-tender the field because the license is an existing license through to 2048.”
He also dismissed concerns over offshore wind projects clashing with gas development, adding: “It’s perfectly possible to have coexistence between a wind turbine and a gas field below it – that’s very common in the North Sea.”
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