'No intent' to revisit gas search talks - minister

There is "no intention" to revisit talks about a firm's licence to extract gas from the seabed in Manx waters after it lapsed, the infrastructure minister has said.

Crogga Limited's Seaward Production Innovative Licence expired on 28 February after new terms on a lease extension could not be agreed with the government.

Some members of the House of Keys raised concerns over the end of the licence, with Tim Glover describing it as a "golden opportunity missed".

But Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood said the government had "bent over backwards" and issued "extension after extension" to allow the firm to "get on with the job".

Crogga had been given five extensions to a licence, first issued in 2018, to carry out 3D seismic surveys ahead of any exploratory drilling work.

Following recent negotiations the firm said "workable terms" could not be agreed by the parties and confirmed it would not sign another extension to its licence.

The project had aimed to extract gas from under the seabed 17km (10.5 miles) off Maughold Head, in a similar area to that earmarked by renewable energy company Orsted for a proposed offshore windfarm project.

After answering an urgent question during Tuesday's House of Keys sitting, the minister was quizzed on whether Orsted's scheme had been treated more favourably than Crogga's project.

Concerns were raised the legislation had not been keeping pace with the gas exploration plans, with some members asking if the issue had not been seen a priority for the Department of Infrastructure.

In response, Haywood said "a huge percentage" of the department's legislative and drafting resources had been "committed to this project" and the firm could have carried out a 3D seismic survey in 2019 but failed to do so.

She told members there "was and remained a credible plan in place" to deliver the required legislation, set to be based on UK laws.

The minister said meetings between both companies about "coexistence and cooperation" had been facilitated by the department's officers, and therefore it was "categorically not true" Orsted's plans had been prioritised, and both parties had been "treated fairly".

Following the expiration of the agreement with Crogga, she said the government had not "missed a golden opportunity", instead it had made considerable efforts to allow the firm to get on with exploring whether gas could be extracted from the area.

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