Tamboran Resources
|
This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project |
Tamboran Resources UK Limited (“Tamboran”) is a private UK and Irish-based exploration company focused on finding and developing unconventional oil and gas resources.
Its stated corporate objective is 'to deliver extraordinary returns to our shareholders by successfully drilling and developing multiple discoveries from our highly prospective portfolio, by leveraging our team’s deep North American unconventional oil and gas experience'.
Contents
Fracking plans for Northern Ireland
Tamboran has controversially been planning to use fracking to extract natural gas in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland since 2011.
In 2014 the company was granted an extension to a High Court injunction to stop protestors getting close to the Belcoo quarry, where they were holding a vigil. According to Tamboran, it was granted the injunction because of 'unlawful incidents'.
Northern Ireland’s environment minister Mark Durkan back then said he would listen to the concerns of Fermanagh residents worried about fracking and that fracking would not happen on his watch “unless there is very strong scientific evidence that it is safe”, which he claimed “simply does not exist at this time”. [1] A month later, in August, Durkan rejected Tamboran's request to drill an exploratory borehole for shale gas at Belcoo quarry 'after very careful consideration'. The company had intended to drill using "permitted development rights", which meant the firm wouldn't have needed to apply for planning permission.[2] The company's licence expired in September 2014.
Five years later, in May 2019, Tamboran announced it would make a full application for a petroleum licence to drill an exploratory borehole at Belcoo. It has claimed the gas is worth 'in excess of £20 billion' and that its project could create 3000 long-term jobs, as well as a “substantial and generous community investment fund”. The gas could potentially supply Northern Ireland for over 50 years, it said. [3]
Campaigners have questioned the timing of Tamboran's Belcoo application and public consultation. Heavily redacted documents obtained from the Department for Economy by Belcoo Frack Free show that the timing of the consultation after the local elections was suggested by the fracking company.
- “With regard to a start date for the consultation [redacted] stated that a date after the local elections *as suggested by Tamboran Resources UK* was acceptable...” [4]
2019 protests
In June 2019 angry protestors gathered outside Tamboran's PR company Weber Shandwick's Belfast offices in response to Tamboran's renewed bid to frack at Belcoo.
People
- Patrick Elliott, Chairman
- Richard Lane, Deputy Chairman
- Karl Prenderville, Chief Executive Officer, previously commercial director of Tamboran Resources
- Andrew Bursill, Director
Former executives
- Joel Riddle, Chief Executive Officer
Lobbying and PR companies
Website and social media
In 2019 the company set up a new website for the Belcoo project: http://www.fermanaghnaturalgas.com/ Twitter: Tamboran Resources UK @FermanaghGas
Company details
Tamboran Resources (UK) Limited (NI605039) is registered and based in Northern Ireland.
Resources
- Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed, 29 April 2015.
- Belcoo Frack Free: https://www.facebook.com/belcoofrackfree
Notes
- ↑ Fracking firm Tamboran granted Belcoo quarry injunction extension, BBC News, 30 July 2014, acc 7 August 2014
- ↑ John Campbell, Minister rejects fracking firm's borehole application, BBC News, 11 August 2014
- ↑ Tamboran Resources, Benefits, company website, undated, accessed 17 June 2019.
- ↑ Belcoo Frack Free, [1] Facebook page, 4 June 2019, accessed 17 June 2019
- ↑ Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 29 January 2015
- ↑ APPC Register for 1 March 2014 - 31 May 2014
