13
IRELAND
Kosmos acquired three blocks offshore
Ireland’s southwest coast in April 2013.
Since then, we have established productive working relationships with national
and local stakeholders. Our preliminary
stakeholder engagement has centered
on explaining the process of acquiring
marine seismic data and managing expectations regarding the timing of oil and
gas exploration and potential production.
Gathering Seismic, Building Relationships
In 2013, Kosmos engaged Polarcus Limited to acquire more than 5,000 square
kilometers of three dimensional seismic
data off the southwest coast of Ireland
over a period of approximately three
months.
To ensure operations complied with the
Irish Code of Practice for the Protection
of Marine Mammals and conditions set by
the Irish Petroleum Affairs Division, Kosmos supplemented the regular seismic
crew with two marine mammal observers,
one passive acoustic monitoring equipment observer, two local fisheries liaison
officers, and two field representatives.
Notification of Kosmos activities through
fishing industry bodies and associated
publications ensured all fishermen were
aware of our seismic surveys ahead of
mobilization. Offshore, the fisheries liaison officers (FLOs) proactively engaged
“The Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland, is an area of great biological interest. While much
attention has focused on benthic features, especially deep-water coral mounds, relatively
little is known about the marine mammal populations in the area. The recent increase
in seismic activity offers a good platform for new observations. In addition to helping
to minimize potential environmental impacts, Marine Mammal Observers on the 2013
seismic survey offshore Ireland collected data on whales and dolphins that will contribute
to knowledge of their ecology and benefit their conservation.”
Mick Baines
Lead Marine Mammal Observer,
Kosmos Energy 2013 seismic survey offshore Ireland
with commercial fleets and local fisherman on land and at sea to keep these
important stakeholders informed about
the nature and duration of our seismic
activities, while also demonstrating our
commitment to being a good neighbor.
Similarly, we used the marine mammal
observers to survey ocean wildlife, as
well as a passive acoustic monitoring system to avoid disturbing the habitat and
wildlife migration patterns during seismic
acquisition. During the operations, there
were more than 365 marine mammal
observations. Wildlife data was reported
to the relevant agencies within the Irish
government.
Courtesy of Mick Baines and Maren Reichelt
As we continue our work in Ireland, we
will deepen our relationships with government, regulators, and fishing and local
representatives.
Polarcus Limited conducted seismic acquisition for Kosmos in both Ireland and Mauritania. The c