Irish Independent: Shell takes land owners to court in dispute over gas pipeline: “OIL giant Shell has begun a High Court action against a number of landowners who have tried to stop the company laying a gas pipeline on their lands. The application by Shell E & P Ireland Ltd for orders restraining six people from interfering with the construction of the pipeline…” (ShellNews.net) 19 March 05

OIL giant Shell has begun a High Court action against a number of landowners who have tried to stop the company laying a gas pipeline on their lands.

The application by Shell E & P Ireland Ltd for orders restraining six people from interfering with the construction of the pipeline across their lands from the Corrib gas field opened in the High Court yesterday and will resume on Wednesday.

Patrick Hanratty SC, for the company said this was a €900m project which it was intended would be commissioned in October 2007.

The gas field was about 65 miles off the Co Mayo coast. A pipeline would take the gas to land and then through a nine kilometre onshore underground pipeline to a gas reception station where it would be processed and fed into the national gas grid. The proceedings related to portion of the onshore section of the pipeline.

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources had made compulsory purchase orders to enable the pipeline to be constructed overland.

Injunctive relief and damages were being sought arising from the fact that the defendants obstructed the attempts of company workers to enter on to their (defendants') lands to 'peg' them out and to fence way-leaves, which he said would be removed and lands would be reinstated once the pipeline was laid.

There were about 30 landowners and all but seven had consented to the work being carried out.Six had physically obstructed attempts by oil company personnel embarking on work. The defendants had also committed technical assaults and had issued threats.

The proceedings are against Philip McGrath, James B Philbin, Willie Corduff, Monica Muller, Brid McGarry all with addresses at Rossport South, Ballina and Peter Sweetman, having an address at Grosvenor Road, Rathmines, Dublin, stated to be an occupier of Ms Muller's property.

Mr Hanratty said the application was urgent because it was anticipated that construction work would start in April. If it did not start by June 1 it would have extremely serious consequences. The oil company would start incurring substantial losses.

John Maddock

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