SHELL TO SEA TENDER FOR IRISH OIL & GAS REVIEW

Shell to Sea also gave an undertaking in the tender that it would “not be bribed, swayed or unduly influenced by the oil and gas giants”

News release – Issued by Shell to Sea
Monday 14th October 2013

SHELL TO SEA TENDER FOR OIL & GAS REVIEW

Shell to Sea have today submitted a tender application to the Department of Energy in response to Minister Pat Rabbitte’s call for expert advice to review the generous oil and gas terms that are currently on offer to oil & gas companies.[1]

The Shell to Sea tender undertakes to “initiate the most thorough, far-reaching inquiry yet into the fiscal regime governing resource extraction in Ireland, taking all voices into consideration and evaluating all available data”.  Shell to Sea stated that it would build on the work that had been published in its in-depth 44 page report entitled Liquid Assets, in which the 69 publically known prospects and discoveries were analysed. This report showed that energy companies estimate the potential fields could contain 21 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Shell to Sea’s tender bid is free of charge as it feels that “assisting Ireland in getting an adequate return from its own oil and gas is payment enough”.

The Shell to Sea tender speaks about a current “Stockholm syndrome … at the department of Energy”.  Shell to Sea also gave an undertaking in the tender that it would “not be bribed, swayed or unduly influenced by the oil and gas giants”

Finally Shell to Sea ended the summary section of their tender quoting ex Labour party Minister for Energy, Justin Keating who shortly before his death last year: “If we waste this resource, it will be a crime against Irish people.  We’re in danger of doing it”.

Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington elaborates , “corporations like Shell focus on what they call stakeholder buy-in, in layman’s terms this means cultivating relationships with key civil servants, political hacks and PR teams persuading them to keep government policy tilted in favour of the industry – and not the citizen.  As a result, when it comes to fiscal policy the thinking at the Department of Energy has remained largely unchanged since the days of Ray Burke…”

In September Pat Rabbitte announced that he was putting out a tender for an expert review of Ireland’s oil and gas terms.  This follows the release of Joint Oireachtas Committee report on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration which amongst other things recommended a review of offshore fiscal and licensing terms before each licensing round.

This tender for expert advice on Ireland’s oil and gas terms has all the hall-marks of a tick the box exercise from Pat Rabbitte and Fergus Dowd.  Announcing the tender process Minister of State Fergus Dowd stated “Ireland competes for mobile exploration investment in the same way it competes for other forms of foreign direct investment”.

Maura Harrington stated “For Pat Rabbitte and Fergus Dowd to view Ireland’s energy potential as another form of FDI shows how little grasp they have of economic reality”.

Terence Conway stated “It has become clear to us that civil service and political ineptitude can be disastrous for a country’s fortunes when dealing with the corporate sharks that dominate global hydrocarbon extraction and so we are especially delighted to tender for this review, in the hope that we can awaken the sleeping beauties dozing at Adelaide Road and dreaming of pensions.”

ENDS

For more information contact:
Maura Harrington:    087 9591474
Terence Conway:     086 0866264

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The Shell to Sea tender is available to view here: http://www.shelltosea.com/sites/default/files/images/ShelltoSea_tender.pdf

[1] Tenders sought for expert advice on oil and gas exploration tax terms – Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources – http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2013/Tenders+sought+for+expert+advice+on+oil+and+gas+exploration+tax+terms.htm

The Shell to Sea Campaign has three main aims:
1) That any exploitation of the Corrib gas field be done in a safe way that will not expose the local community in Erris to unnecessary health, safety and environmental risks.
2) To renegotiate the terms of the Great Oil and Gas Giveaway, which sees Ireland’s 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent* off the West Coast go directly to the oil companies, with the Irish State retaining a 0% share, no energy security of supply and only 25% tax on profits against which all costs can be deducted.
3) To seek justice for the human rights abuses suffered by Shell to Sea campaigners due to their opposition to Shell’s proposed inland refinery.

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.