If we don’t look for oil we won’t find it

NONE of us need to be told that we must consider anything that might allow us regain the kind of independence solvent countries enjoy so the report that great swathes of off-shore Ireland have not been as thoroughly assessed for oil or gas as they might be could be an occasion for some optimism.

Despite all of the furore and excitement about the prospect of striking oil off our shores just 125 explorations wells have been drilled.

Norway, a country almost insulated from the travails of the world because of its oil and reserves and its prudent management of those resources, drilled around 1,000 wells. There are twice that number in British waters.