There is “significant interest” among international mineral companies in Ireland as a gold mining region, according to prospecting firm Connemara Mining.

Connemara Mining, the John Teeling-chaired mineral prospector, has opened talks with potential joint-venture partners regarding two of its remaining solely owned ventures in Leinster.

The decision by Shell to sell its stake in the Corrib gas field for €1bn was not unexpected, as the oil giant continues to pull back from smaller projects globally, but it will have learned from its chequered management of the project, a leading Irish oil expert has said.

Shares in the John Teeling run Connemara Mining rose over 7% as international “value investor” Paul Johnson substantially increased his stake in the firm.

Irish oil and gas exploration company Petrel Resources said it has “sufficient” funds to cover activities for the “near future” despite seeing losses widen by nearly 13% over the past 12 months.

Irish explorers Clontarf Energy and Petrel Resources are confident of finally reaching a lasting agreement with Ghana’s government over the replacement of lost acreage in the west African country before the end of this year.

Exploration-related activity in Irish waters is set to heat up further in the coming months with a new multi-client 3D seismic survey to be undertaken off the west coast.

Pre-tax profits at the Teeling Whiskey Company soared by 73%, last year, to €2.95m, as the popularity of Irish whiskey continued to grow.

OPEC has reported an increase in its oil production for September to the highest in at least eight years and has raised its forecast for 2017 non-OPEC supply growth, pointing to a larger surplus next year despite the group’s deal to cut output.

Petrel Resources — the Irish AIM-listed exploration firm — has reported a near 28% narrowing in first-half losses.

In the 1980s there were just two distilleries in Ireland. Today there are at least a dozen. Peter Mulryan explores this boom in his new book, The Whiskeys of Ireland, writes Leslie Williams.

Gold miners in the North have revealed that they may be able to extract gold using a more simple and less costly process than originally planned.

British exploration firm Europa Oil and Gas is hopeful of landing a development partner for licences it holds off the Irish coast before the end of the year.

Irish exploration firm, Clontarf Energy, is in early talks with prospective equity partners.

Irish mineral prospector Botswana Diamonds has reported a near 7% decline in first-half losses.

Nobody knows Irish food better than Joe McNamee. From chutney to cheese, craft beer to chocolate, he’s put together The Menu’s Annual Christmas Hamper – full of the local products that really stood out this year. Plus, he’s got the top gifts for foodies.

John Teeling has said exploration firm Petrel Resources, of which he is chairman, has ample resources to weather the current challenging market conditions produced by the low oil price environment.

Powerscourt Distillery, a new venture based in the Powerscourt Estate in Co Wicklow, is seeking new funding to complete a €10m whiskey distillery. It hopes to have €5m raised in a funding round this year.

Investment by food and drink companies In Ireland has accelerated this year, but there are concerns it is too narrowly based and that there are too few ‘scalable’ companies in the sector.

Petrel Resources is actively eyeing up more prospects in Ireland and elsewhere and is planning drilling activity on existing Irish acreage in the next three to four years.

John Teeling’s Botswana Diamonds expects its 2015 exploration programme to include a double-digit number of drill holes tested to identify targets, as it looks to increase its focus on the southern African country.

Dublin-based exploration firm Petroceltic has agreed a settlement with one of its former consultants in North Africa, after lengthy legal proceedings, nudging its share price in London up by almost 1% yesterday.

Two Irish exploration firms — Clontarf Energy and Petrel Resources — have reached agreement with the authorities in Ghana over a long-running dispute concerning lost licence acreage in the west African country.

One domestic-based exploration firm has openly criticised the Government for its new tax rates for oil finds in Irish waters, just a week after they were unveiled.

Irish exploration firm Clontarf Energy has reported a 145% jump in pre-tax losses to nearly £3.2m (€3.9m) for 2013, leading management to say the company is in "an uncertain place".

Irish mining company, Botswana Diamonds has reported a near 9% drop in annual losses for the 12 months to the end of June.

Connemara Mining, the AIM-listed/Dublin-headquartered mineral exploration firm, has been awarded 10 prospecting licences in east Donegal.

Irish explorer Petrel Resources said it expects operational activity to speed up in the coming months.

John Teeling’s Irish Whiskey Company will spend €35m over the next four years transforming the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Irish diamond company Botswana Diamonds has today announced the signing of a new joint-venture exploration deal.

The High Court has rejected a bid to wind up a mining company headed by entrepreneur John Teeling over claims that it is insolvent.

Irish mining company, Botswana Diamonds has reported a 25% widening in its first-half losses.

A shareholder in a mining exploration company headed by entrepreneur John Teeling has asked the High Court to wind up the firm, alleging it is insolvent and unable to pay its debts.

Tullow Oil, the Irish-founded driller, will acquire Norway’s Spring Energy AS for $372m (€286m) to add prospects in the North, Norwegian, and Barents Seas.

An Irish metal exploring company has stated that it has found evidence of gold in the Wicklow/Wexford area.

The mood music around Irish offshore exploration is as positive as it has been since the early 1980s writes Kyran Fitzgerald, but John Teeling, of Petrel Resources, says it is ‘too early to be counting eggs’

Two companies have identified oil targets off the west coast, with the combined potential to produce nearly two billion barrels of oil.

Dublin-headquartered oil and gas exploration company Clontarf Energy is in “advanced discussions” with six companies interested in buying into its Peru operations.

Petrel Resources has said that it has over $4m (€3.1m) in cash reserves, making it well-financed to progress with its current activities in Iraq, Ghana and offshore Ireland.

Connemara Mining — the AIM-listed mineral exploration firm chaired by businessman John Teeling — has revealed that it recently received an expression of interest in its minority stakeholding in the highly-rated Stonepark zinc and lead discovery in Co Limerick.

Connemara Mining, the Irish precious metals exploration company, has reduced its operating losses for the period ended June 30, 2012 to €178,000 from €198,000 compared to the same period last year, according to the company’s Interim Statement.