Ireland's Department of Transport, Energy and Communications last week awarded 11 exploration licences, covering 58 full and part-blocks in the Rockall Trough. Energy minister Emmet Stagg said the round was "by far our most successful to date" and he predicted that Rockall would emerge as "one of the most exciting untested areas in Northwest Europe". Several blocks were the subject of competing bids, including four in one case, which made a decision on the award of licences difficult, said Stagg. "It is fair to say there was some disappointment among the groups," he said.

Under the new licences, comprehensive work programmes will be undertaken, including up to 18,000 kms of new 2D seismic and up to 2,000 sq kms of 3D. Although the frontier exploration licences do not require any wells during the first phase, one group has committed to drill during that phase and another two groups will make provisions in their Phase I budgets to drill in the event drillable prospects are identified.

The awards are, with operator first:

18/9, 18/lO, 18/6 - Arco, BG, Anadarko;

16/27, the southern half of 25/l, 25/2, 25/6 and the eastern half of 75/9 and 75/lO - BG, Arco, Anadarko;

25/1 (northern half), 75/4, 75/5, 75/8 and 75/9 (western half) - Elf, Phillips;

5/18 (part-block), 5/23, 5/28 - Elf, Phillips, British-Borneo;

5/16 (part-block), 5/17 (part-block), 5/21, 5/22, 5/26, 5/27 - Enterprise, Mobil, Rimrock, Union Texas;

83/9, 83/10, 83/14, 83/15 - Phillips, Elf;

11/20, 11/23, 11/24, 11/25, 11/28, 12/11, 12/12, 12/16 - Phillips, Agip;

75/21, 75/26, 82/25, 82/30 - Phillips, Agip;

83/13, 83/18, 83/19, 83/20 - Saga, Total, Statoil, Shell;

10/30, 11/26, 18/4, 18/5, 19/1 - Statoil, Shell;

1/17, 1/18, 1/21, 1/22, 1/23, 1/26, 1/27, 77/4, 77/5, 78/25, 78/29, 78/30 Shell, Statoil, BP.

Meanwhile, Stagg said he had decided that the South Porcupine would be subject to frontier licensing with a closing date of December 15, 1998. A further announcement about the terms, duration and phases of the licences would be made later this year, he added. The round will cover 156 blocks.

Greenpeace late yesterday (Tuesday) stepped up their campaign against exploration activity in the Atlantic Margin by staging a dramatic occupation of the tiny island of Rockall, 289 miles from the Scottish mainland.

The next Norwegian offshore licensing round - the 16th - is not planned until after 2000, energy minister Ranveig Frøiland said recently.