Barryroe is an undeveloped oil and gas field discovered in the Atlantic ocean due south of County Cork, Ireland. Close to the exhausted Kinsale Head gas field, it is as close as 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the Kinsale Head existing pipeline.[1][2][3][4] The discovery is at a water depth of 100 metres (330 ft).[5] Several attempts were made to find a commercial field at the site in the 1970s but although they struck oil, none were commercially viable. It has been rated as the equivalent of a large North Sea oil field.[6]
| Barryroe oil and gas field | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Region | Celtic Sea |
| Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
| Partners | Providence 80% Lansdowne 20% |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1981 |
| Production | |
| Estimated oil in place | 1,000 - 1,600 million barrels (~−220,000,000 t) |
| Recoverable oil | 311 million barrels (~4.24×107 t) |
| Recoverable gas | 207×109 cu ft (5.9×109 m3) |
As of 2020[update], the field is 80% owned by Providence Resources (via subsidiary Exola) and 20% by Lansdowne Oil and Gas (via subsidiary Lansdowne Celtic Sea).[7]
Providence has long been seeking a partner to finance development of Barryroe.[8] In 2015 it attempted partnership with Sequa Resources, and in 2018–2020 partnered with Chinese APEC Energy, both without success.[8]
Providence estimated the total reserve in place between 1 and 1.6 billion barrels (160×106 and 250×106 m3) in July 2012.[9] In April 2013 an independent audit estimated the recoverable total at 311 million barrels (49.4×106 m3) barrels of oil, and 207 billion cubic feet (5.9 billion cubic metres) of gas.[10] This gives a total of 346 million barrels (55.0×106 m3) of oil equivalent.