Royal Dutch Shell has launched gas production from the Corrib field off the northwest coast of Ireland after two decades of local opposition and an investment of $3.9b (€3.6) in the field exploration and development, PennEnergy reported.

The Corrib field is a subsea-to-shore tieback solution leading extracted gas through an onshore pipeline to an inland gas processing terminal built in Bellanaboy to be then transferred into the Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), which delivers it to Irish gas consumers. The field – located 83km off Ireland’s coast in water depths of almost 350 meter – is expected to produce around 260mscf/d of gas, which is 45,000boe/d, at its peak, wrote WorldOil. The extracted quantities are estimated to meet 60% of the country’s consumption, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Corrib Gas Partners – made up of oil and gas producers Shell E&P Ireland Limited, Norway’s Statoil, and Canada’s Vermillion Energy – say they are committed to ensuring carbon dioxide emissions from flaring to remain within stringent limits set by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency, RT wrote. Ireland’s government had issued a final approval for the deal adding 20 conditions for Shell to adhere to in reference to the pipeline’s environmental impact, OilPrice reported.

Shell considers the Corrib development as one of the most significant engineering projects ever undertaken in Ireland and admits that the field has a lifespan of only between 15 to 20 years.