ELSA FIELD Information

Why Eco-Drilling?

Petroceltic believes that the impact of this project on marine life and the coastal community will be very low. However, Petroceltic recognises that protecting the environment is one of the biggest concerns of residents of coastal communities.  It is investing time and resources to do all it can to protect against risks to the environment by using the Eco-Drilling approach.  

What does Eco-Drilling involve?

Eco-Drilling is a term that Petroceltic uses to describe the holistic approach it employs to minimise the impact of its operations on the natural environment. This approach includes:

• No waste from the drilling process (such as rock cuttings) will be released in the sea
• Waste from the rig will be collected and safely disposed of on land
• The rig will not be audible from the coast
• There will be no flaring of oil on the rig
• There will be no pipelines to the shore
• Transport to and from the rig will be minimised through efficient planning
• The rig will be modern and highly efficient - therefore it will use less energy
• The risk of an oil spill is negligible as there are robust systems in place to stop this happening. Furthermore, the oil well is low pressure – meaning it will only come to the surface if pumped
• The rig will be positioned more than seven kilometres from the shore. It will be visible as a small object on the horizon
• Exploration work will not happen during the peak tourist months
• The drilling fluids will be water based and contained in a closed circulating system to minimise environmental impact
• The smallest possible diameter hole will be drilled thereby minimising the quantity of materials consumed and energy used in the drilling process