Kinsale Head gas field
The Kinsale Head gas field is a depleted offshore natural gas field in the Celtic Sea, located 50 km (31 mi) off the southern coast of County Cork, Ireland. Discovered in 1971 near the Old Head of Kinsale, it met Ireland's gas needs until 1996. The gas field is located in a water depth of 100 metres and 1,000 metres below the seabed.
| Kinsale Head gas field | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Region | Celtic Sea |
| Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
| Operators | Kinsale Energy Limited |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1971 |
| Start of production | October 1978 |
| Peak year | 1995 |
| Abandonment | July 2020 |
| Production | |
| Peak of production (gas; billion cubic meters per year) | 2.8 |
The field extends over Blocks 49/16, 48/20, 48/25, 49/21. The reservoir is a Lower Cretaceous sandstone (Wealden and Greensand) lying at a depth of 2,700 to 3,100 feet. The gas composition was >99% methane with a calorific value of 1.012 Btu/ cubic foot.
During its 42 years in operation, the Kinsale gas field produced an estimated 2 trillion cubic feet (57 billion cubic metres) of natural gas. Operator Kinsale Energy Limited extracted its last commercial quantity of gas on 5 July 2020, after which they ceased production. Decommissioning works began immediately afterwards and, as of 2021, were expected to conclude in 2023. These works included the removal of both platforms, the bulk of which had been removed during 2022.
A floating wind turbine project is proposed for development in the area.