The positive outcome of the 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round will help bring a new momentum to the level of exploration activity in our offshore. Ireland must continue to communicate the message to international exploration companies that Ireland is open for business and that the Irish offshore has real potential.”
So said Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, at the announcement of the results of the Atlantic Margin Licensing Round in October 2011.
One of the winners of the license options on offer was Bluestack Energy Limited, a company that was only registered on 16 May 2011 – that is, two weeks before the application deadline of 12 Noon, 31 May 2011.
Bluestack Energy’s address in Ireland is C/O Conlan Crotty Murray & Co, a firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors which operates from the Leopardstown Office Park complex in Sandyford.
The director of Bluestack Energy is Donal O’Driscoll.
His address is given as, 37 Hill Rise, Rickmansworth, Herts, Wd3 7ny, Uk.
This is also the address of Springhill Upstream Consultants Ltd, of which Donal is also director.
Springhill upstream Consultants Ltd does not have a website – neither does Bluestack Energy by the way – and in the register of companies its business is listed as ‘other’.
Just to restate, Bluestack Energy WON the competition for a license option in the Porcupine Basin and was given the option on blocks 35/25(ep), 35/30, 36/21, 36/26, 44/5(p), 45/1.
Bluestack Energy does not have to explore anything during this period. The license it won is a license on an option on a 15-yr license to explore the blocks.
Frontier Exploration Licences arising from Licensing Options granted under this round will be granted for up to a maximum of 75% of the area covered by the Licensing Option and will be for a period of 15 years, with a first phase of 3 years, followed by three phases of 4 years each. (2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round)
Bluestack Energy, remember, does NOT need to explore anything at this stage.
It only needs to come up with a plan of such detail as to convince the Irish government/State that it is serious about exploration in order to win the (potentially-lucrative) 15-yr exploration license.
Ireland is open for business alright.
Here is Bluestack Energy’s registration record from the Companies Registration Office.
Enjoy.
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July 11, 2012 5:44 pm
Hey,
I don’t quite see what the problem is here. Yes, the company registered 2 weeks before their deadline, but being a long-registered company is not a requirement for a successful application. Mr O’Driscoll is listed as a director with another company – and he can’t suddenly give that up to work solely with a company that does not have any prospect of income until successful exploration, a process I understand to take several years (and with reference to the Corrib situation in Ireland, possibly decades). Bluestack Energy has had a website for approximately a year at this stage, bluestackenergy.ie. Also, (in response to “Bluestack Energy, remember, does NOT need to explore anything at this stage.”, given that bluestack energy have had no income, it would seem ridiculous to make them explore. It’s not how industry works, smaller companies sell prospects based on data they have discovered to larger companies, this was the case with the Corrib and Kinsale Head prospects.
I’d love to hear your response.
Best wishes, d3v1sadvocate