Decommissioning of certain facilities within the Kinsale Area gas fields

The Minister has made a determination on the applications received on 14 October 2021 detailed below.

See the public consultation for more details.

• Decision documentation on Kinsale Gas Field Application
• Decision documentation on Seven Heads Gas Field Application

The Minister has received additional information from PSE Kinsale Energy in relation to the below application received on 14 October 2021.

This additional information relates to planned offshore survey activities associated with this application.

See the public consultation for more details.

The Minister has received an application from PSE Kinsale Energy for the decommissioning of certain facilities of the Kinsale Head, including Southwest Kinsale, and Ballycotton gas fields (‘Kinsale Head gas fields’) and an application from PSE Seven Heads Limited for the decommissioning of certain facilities of the Seven Heads gas field. The Kinsale Head gas fields and facilities form part of the greater Kinsale Area gas fields and facilities. The Kinsale Area gas fields and facilities are made up of (1) the Kinsale Head gas fields and facilities and (2) the Seven Heads gas field and facilities. Together, the decommissioning of the entirety of the Kinsale Area gas fields and facilities is collectively referred to as the Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project (KADP).

The application in relation to the Kinsale Head gas fields covers the following activities:

• The leaving in situ of all infield pipelines and umbilicals associated with the Kinsale Head gas fields
• The leaving in-situ of the 24” export pipeline (offshore and onshore section) and the filling of the onshore section with grout
• The use of engineering materials (Rock Placement) to protect the pipelines and umbilicals in situ.

With regards to the Seven Heads gas field the application covers the following activities:

• The leaving in-situ all infield pipelines and umbilicals associated with the Seven Heads gas field
• The use of engineering materials (Rock Placement) to protect the pipelines and umbilicals in situ.

Previous applications were submitted to and approved by the then Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE). Ministerial consent was granted to an application for the plugging and abandonment of wells, removal of the two topsides structures and the removal of subsea facilities on 26 April 2019 and Ministerial consent was granted to an application for the removal of the platform jacket structures on 26 February 2020.

See the public consultation for more details.