Shell's assault on Erris BY TERRY CLANCY

Rossport is a small hamlet in Northwest Mayo, nestled between the bogs of Mayo and the broad blue expanse of Broadhaven Bay. As I write this, it is under siege.

Camped by it is a construction compound, poised to tear a small community apart. Rossport, it is planned, will play host to an unprecedented upstream high pressure pipeline, to bring gas from the Corrib field to a refinery nine kilometres inland.

The gas pipeline also has adjoining pipelines, carrying hydraulic fluid, cleansing acids, waste pipes, and electric cables. This is a high pressure pipeline, up to 345 bar pressure for the gas, 610 bar pressure for the acids and hydraulic fluid.

It is untreated, that is, odourless, without the added smell for detecting leaks.

This is not the normal run of the mill gas pipeline. In Kinsale, the gas is refined at sea, then piped ashore at a much lower pressure and odourised.

The biggest Bord Gais pipelines, in the so-called Transmission network, bringing the gas cross-country or overseas, run at 16-70 bar pressure.

The large pressure for the Corrib project is necessary as the pipeline is actually pumping the gas straight out of the field. Normally, this process takes place completely at sea.

It is proposed that the pipeline will pass right beside people's houses, and between some people's houses and their front gates.

Sweet deal

From 1975, for oil and gas companies there was a tax rate of 50%, an automatic 50% state stake in any commercial well, and royalties of 6%- 7%.

In 1987, after lobbying by the companies, Ray Burke got rid of the 50% state stake and removed royalties.

In 1992, after further lobbying, Bobby Molloy and Bertie Ahern reduced the tax rate to 25% and 100% tax write offs were introduced, meaning that the companies can subtract their costs from their tax bill.

In 1996, the licence for the Corrib Gas field was granted to Enterprise Energy Ireland, a subsidiary of Enterprise Oil, which has since been bought out, in 2002, by a consortium including Shell, Statoil and Marathon Oil.

Enterprise Oil held major fundraising events for Fianna Fáil at the Galway Races in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

The deal is that the pipelines after the refinery, running to Dublin and Britain, will be constructed by the state, that is, Bord Gais, while a good deal of necessary infrastructure, new roads and bridges, are already being built by the state, ie Mayo County Council. Some of the gas, that which is not exported, will then be purchased back by the state.

These companies have a track record of not employing Irish rig workers.

According to Mike Cunningham, a former director of Statoil Exploration (Ireland): "No other country in the world has given such favourable terms as Ireland."

In other places in Europe the state take can be 55% or even 79% of a field.

Solidarity

Shell to Sea is a newly formed platform composed of local Erris people and their supporters nationwide. Its goal is to enable people across the country to support the local people in their struggle against Shell's assault on Erris.

Shell to Sea is organising a solidarity gathering in Rossport on the June Bank Holiday weekend, 4 to 6 June. The gathering, conceived as being in the tradition of Carnsore, will include live music, education about the issues involved, and planning about what to do next. All are welcome. If you cannot come to the entire weekend, come to the solidarity rally at 2pm Sunday 5 June.

o For more information see www.shelltosea.com or www.indymedia.ie/mayo