With David Knott
from London
Esso Exploration & Production U.K. Ltd. is normally reticent about its activities.
About a well to be drilled in the Irish Sea this summer, though, the company is comparatively gushing.
Late this month or early in June, Esso plans to spud a wildcat in 150 ft of water on U.K. Block 112/15, northeast of the Isle of Man. The well will be drilled to 8,000-9,000 ft by the Glomar Adriatic XI jack up. Esso and equal partner Shell U.K. Ltd. acquired the block in 1993.
Esso has been meeting local community representatives to explain its plans. And it has toured coastal towns with a trailer packed with visual material to take the message to the public.
Communication pledge
This information campaign is coordinated by Robert Watson, manager of public relations for Esso U.K. plc.
"We shot seismic on the block in 1994," Watson said, "but prior to the survey we embarked on a communications exercise with fishermen, local government officials, emergency planners, and wildlife groups.
"Early on we gave them an undertaking that we would communicate. We recognized that this particular location has not been explored, and the jack up will be seen from the coast on a clear day."
Watson said the exploration and information campaigns were well down the track before the Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd. gas discovery in Block 103/1 focused attention on Irish Sea prospects (OGJ, Nov. 7, 1994, p. 35).
And it was even further ahead of the Sea Empress tanker spill, which made oil industry activity a sensitive issue for all communities bordering the Irish Sea (OGJ, Mar. 4, p. 41).
To help get its message across, Esso produced a brochure about the well and its potential effects. Here are a few extracts:
- Assuming...a commercial find-and there is no guarantee-the economics and logistics relating to developing and transporting any hydrocarbons will then be looked at by Esso and a production facility considered. Throughout this process Esso will liaise with the community and interest groups in order to address concerns or issues raised.
- At each stage and in advance of operations, Esso has evaluated and reviewed environmental sensitivities and adjusted operational requirements accordingly.
- Esso is acutely aware that its drilling operations may cause some concerns locally. One concern is the potential for oil spillage...A comprehensive oil spill contingency plan for response to accidental oil spills has been prepared in consultation with local and national bodies.
Information gap
Last year's protest over a plan to dump the Brent spar loading buoy at sea and increasingly harsh criticism following major spills show the public is aware of potential threats from the oil industry.
But there are gaps in the public's knowledge, and Esso's brochure sets out to fill some of them. For instance, Watson said, most people do not distinguish between exploration and production and are not aware it can easily require 5-10 years for a project to yield oil or gas.
Watson acknowledges increasing public curiosity about oil industry activities and feels this type of campaign may become more common: "We are simply behaving as a company should in this day and age." Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
