Kosmos Energy is taking a fresh look at a handful of new and existing exploration prospects in frontier waters offshore Ireland, according to partner Europa Oil & Gas.

The prospects are located in Frontier Exploration Licence 2/13 and 3/13 in the South Porcupine Basin, with Kosmos telling AIM-listed Europa that it is restudying 3-D seismic shot in 2013. According to Europa, the latest prospect inventory from Kosmos has identified “a number of new, large prospects and leads on both licences”.

As a result, material changes have been made to the prospectivity previously mapped on the licences using historic 2-D seismic data, it added.

In FEL 3/13 two prospects named Beckett and Wilde have been identified, along with one lead, Shaw. The new prospects have gross mean unrisked prospective resources of 760 MMbbl (Beckett) and 493 MMbbl (Wilde). These prospects replace a previously-identified candidate, Kiernan.

In FEL 2/13 a further two new prospects, Doyle A and Doyle B, have been identified. Doyle A has gross mean unrisked prospective resources of 123 MMbbl and 69 MMbbl for Doyle B. These replace the Mullen prospect previously identified by Europa.

Further seismic analysis work is being conducted to provide a definitive prospect risking and ranking, with this work expected to be completed during the first half of 2015, before any decision is then taken on any possible drilling plans.

Europa’s CEO, Hugh Mackay said: “This is a significant step forward for our exploration in Ireland. The prospect inventory has been completed by Kosmos and the early promise shown on historic 2-D seismic data has been vindicated by the prospects identified on the new 3-D seismic.”