By Paddy Clancy

DONEGAL has become the launch pad for the opening shots in a battle for control of $610 billion of oil and gas resources.

A major campaign got under way at the weekend week to block the early stages of explorations off the west and southwest Donegal coasts.

The campaign, which aims to prevent multi nationals constructing shore-based refineries for any oil or gas that may be discovered, could prompt confrontations similar the Shell to Sea controversy in Mayo last year which at one stage resulted in five protesters being jailed.

Organizers said they fear serious environmental disruption and health problems for local residents when the holders of 14 exploration licenses start drilling.

The first four exploratory operations are set to start within the next few months in four “fields” in the seas all the way from Tory Island to Ballyshannon.

A new lobby group, MAOR (a title standing for Mobilize, Act, Overcome, Reclaim), was formed with the specific aim of opposing the exploration and mining plans of multi-nationals.

In effect, what has started is a battle for control of a large chunk of $610 billion worth of under-sea oil and gas resources between Donegal and Kerry. That’s the current value of the 10 billion barrels of hydrocarbon resources the Department of the Marine says could be present off Ireland’s west coasts.

The terms of licenses issued by the Department’s Petroleum Affairs division mean exploratory drilling must start this summer in four specific areas off the Donegal coast.

MAOR, which is linked to the national Shell to Sea campaign although focusing entirely on the situation in Donegal, has a number of main objections to the projects.

The organization predicts the exploration companies, which include Shell and other foreign-owned interests, may develop environmentally unfriendly refining plants on land if exploratory drillings prove there are commercially viable gas and oil resources in the Donegal seas.

MAOR also argues that with profits being retained by the operators and siphoned back to their overseas headquarters, there will be no financial benefit for locals.

MAOR spokeswoman Amanda Slevin said, “A group of us became interested when we held a fundraiser for the Corrib field protest campaign. We got to thinking about the situation in Donegal and realized how little we know of what rights have been given away in Donegal.

“There has been no consultation with locals and it’s a poor enough county as it is without giving away what resources we may have.”