Ireland’s Corrib gas field to flow mid-2015

The Corrib field is due on stream in mid-2015 and will cover nearly three-quarters of the Irish republic’s gas consumption -but Corrib’s troubled development history has done nothing to encourage other explorers

After delays totalling 12 years, it might be risky to forecast that the Corrib field’s start-up is in sight - but Shell, the operator, is confident that first gas from the development will be flowing into Ireland’s distribution pipelines in the middle of next year. The five wells, 83 km off the coast of County Mayo, are ready to produce; the tunnel carrying the landing pipeline under Sruwaddacon Bay has been completed; and the processing terminal at Bellanaboy Bridge is being commissioned. When Corrib reaches its peak output - which should be fairly soon after start-up - it will be flowing 3.25 billion cubic metres a year (cm/y), equivalent to 72% of the republic’s gas use last year of 4.5bn