A letter has been sent by Crogga’s chief executive urging MHKs not allow the project to be delayed further.

The company that hopes to drill off the east coast of the island for natural gas has been waiting for a decision from the Infrastructure Minister to allow for a variation in the licence.

If approved, it would enable the company to drill an appraisal well before carrying out a 3D Seismic Survey.

Whilst technical advisors last month agreed that existing available seismic data is of ‘sufficient quality’ to allow for the drilling of an appraisal well, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall is yet to make a decision.

But former infrastructure minister, Chris Thomas, said that allowing for drilling before a 3D seismic survey is carried out is ‘reckless’.

Richard Hubbard, chief executive officer of Crogga, said: ‘We know where to drill, but we don’t know whether the reservoir will flow gas, and you can’t answer that question with seismic.

‘What the seismic does do is show you how big the gas field is, so if we can drill a good appraisal well, and if it flows natural gas at a commercial rate, then we go straight out there and shoot 3D seismic.’

He said that if Mr Crookall allows for the company to drill before shooting 3D Seismic, it will take 12 months before the drilling can take place.

‘We have engaged a contract well operator, Three60 Energy, which is the company responsible for all health and safety aspects of drilling the well’, he added.

‘Then we have to get an environmental impact assessment for the area of concern to do with the operation that’s being planned. We will also have to conduct a seabed survey, to make sure we are not going to damage anything specifically.

‘We will then have to acquire a shallow seismic just for the top 100 metres to make sure there are no pockets seabed gas, no hazards, it is called a geohazard survey. All of those things take three or four months, and we have to make sure we have all the items in place before we start, so all of that in totality will take 12 months.’

But Dr Hubbard said that even if the variation in the licence is approved, there are no regulations in place to allow for drilling in Manx territorial waters.

He said that the Department of Infrastructure has a legal advisor to look at this.

Asked about a transition to renewable energy, Dr Hubbard said: ‘If the government decides it no longer wants to pursue fossil fuels it can make that decision, so that is for the government to think about, and it will react to the sentiment of the people.

‘But equally if you look at the profile for net zero by 2050, natural gas still forms 20 to 30% of the base load, natural gas will be required as we transition to renewable energy.’

Crogga met with the DoI on Friday, (December 1), and will meet again with the department in early January.