Extracts from an article by Sarah McCabe published 10 April 2014 by the Irish Independent
The development of the field off the north-west coast has been plagued by setbacks, which have delayed it for more than 13 years. Construction of a 4.9km tunnel under Sruwaddacon Bay, a special conversation area, is also progressing, new company documents show. Development of the tunnel was suspended last year after 26-year-old German hydraulics specialist Lars Wagner was tragically killed, following fatal head injuries sustained while working on it. Mayo natural gas find Corrib was first discovered in 1996. It was originally expected that gas would start flowing from it by 2003, meaning the project is now some 13 years behind the original schedule. Reports suggest the cost of developing it has come in around four times as much as original estimates, reaching €3bn.
The above right “Bad News” slide appeared in a 62 page Royal Dutch Shell PowerPoint presentation prepared in June 2000: “Excom Early Look Business Plan 2000″. Turned out to be uncannily accurate in many projects in which Shell had a leading role, including Corrib, Sakhalin II and Kashagan.
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ExtractsMeanwhile, Shell has also issued a statement following the broadcast of an award -winning documentary, The Pipe, on TV3 last month. The statement describes the film as “a wonderfully-shot documentary with some fantastic scenery.” “It tells a compelling human story but unfortunately provides little explanation of the events it chronicles,” continues the statement. The statement also claims several well-known supporters of the project from the local area, who were interviewed at length for The Pipe, had their contributions edited out of the film.
