Licence extension 'no guarantee' of gas extraction off Isle of Man

Manx firm Crogga wants more time to survey an area off the island's east coast

There are "no guarantees" gas will be extracted from Manx waters if more time is given to search for the fossil fuel, the infrastructure minister has said.

Island company Crogga has applied to extend its licence to explore an area off the island's east coast to 2023.

Tim Crookall said the bid was "purely for surveys at this stage" and the firm "wanted to know what is down there".

He was speaking after concern in the House of Keys the move was out of step with climate change commitments.

'Potential reserve'

Crogga's three-year licence, granted in 2018, is due to expire at the end of the year.

The company has previously said gas beneath the 266 sq km (165 sq mile) area of sea bed "has the potential to power the island for hundreds of years".

It has also promised "energy security" for a nation which currently imports the fuel from elsewhere.

Mr Crookall told the House the company wanted the extension to complete seismic surveys to "characterise the nature of the potential reserve".

He said the government would make a decision "shortly" and confirmed there would be no legal consequences if the licence was allowed to run out.

Daphne Caine MHK asked how the move would fit with the island's target of reaching net-zero carbon emission by 2050, while Joney Faragher MHK questioned the cost of decommissioning any oil and gas infrastructure.

"From conversations I have had, an awful lot of people want to know what is down there, and see what the value is, and what the potential is for the Isle of Man," Mr Crookall said.

Crogga has been contacted for comment.