Onshore petroleum licensing policy consultation

Views sought on the proposed policy for onshore petroleum licensing in Northern Ireland.

The Department for the Economy (DfE) is consulting on four policy options for onshore petroleum licensing in Northern Ireland.

The preferred option to introduce a moratorium and eventual legislative ban on all forms of onshore petroleum exploration and production in Northern Ireland. This position has been reached following a review of onshore petroleum licensing policy by DfE.

The consultation document provides details on the background to this issue, the rationale for the preferred option and seeks your views on the way forward. You can also access independent research on the impacts of petroleum exploration and production in NI, research on the risks of induced seismicity from high volume hydraulic fracturing of shales in NI and the relevant impact assessments for the proposed future policy.

Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.

First published 17 January 2024