Barryroe Offshore Energy plc Barryroe Offshore Energy plc explores and develops oil and gas assets offshore Ireland. The company holds an 80% working interest in and operates Standard Exploration Licence (SEL) 1/11, which contains the Barryroe oil and gas field in the North Celtic Sea Basin, located in 100 metres of water approximately 50km offshore Cork near the Kinsale gas fields; this field ranks as one of Europe's largest undeveloped oil and gas discoveries, independently assessed to hold about 350 million barrels of recoverable oil and gas. It maintains interests in additional assets including the Celtic Sea Basin (SEL 2/07 and Lease Undertaking), Southern Porcupine Basin (Frontier Exploration Licence 3/04), and St. George's Basin (SEL 1/07), targeting phased commercial development to enhance Ireland's energy security. Barryroe Offshore Energy plc, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Sandyford Business Park, Dublin, operates solely in Irish offshore waters with 11-50 employees focused on appraisal programs pending government approval.
The company changed its name from Providence Resources plc to Barryroe Offshore Energy plc in September 2022 to emphasize its Barryroe field focus. In November 2022, it secured convertible loan note funding of €40 million held in escrow to support appraisal drilling. However, in May 2023, Ireland's Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications denied its Barryroe lease undertaking due to insufficient financial capability, prompting a creditors voluntary liquidation announcement in June 2023; shares were suspended on AIM and Euronext Growth, with trading admission cancelled on November 9, 2023, following a scheme of arrangement and court approval. Earlier efforts included a 2018 farm-out agreement with APEC for SEL 1/11 and discussions with major shareholders for funding amid limited working capital of about €176,000 as of June 2023.