Woodside operates FEL 3/14 and FEL 4/14 in the Porcupine Basin (85%) with Petrel Resources (15%) being carried through the work.
In recent days the oiler has received permission for the 3D survey of the frontier licences by the Department of Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources.
PGS will shoot the Granuaile and Breanann 3D marine seismic surveys for the JV, with the Ramform Vanguard survey vessel mobilising to the Southern Porcupine Basin last week for the Granuaile 3D survey.
The Breanann 3D seismic survey over FEL 3/14 will start in about 40 days.
"The prospectivity of Ireland's Porcupine Basin is now generally accepted by the oil industry, with 43 applications by 17 companies in the recent 2015 bid round," Petrel director David Horgan said.
"Discoveries in Canada's Fleming Pass have boosted exploration interest, as this province is seen as a twin of the southern Porcupine Basin - of which it was once part.
"Ireland needs exploration wells drilled on the best possible seismic data. Previous exploration wells mainly targeted relatively shallow water prospects. Technical advances and higher oil and gas prices have opened up new plays.
"The 3D seismic campaign underway this summer represents the state-of-the-art both in safety, environmental standards as well as technical competence.
"The objective is to de-risk several leads and prospects to drillable status. The partners have succeeded in securing excellent contractors and equipment to conduct this work in the ideal weather window."
While drilling is likely to be a few years off, past drilling has been disappointing, with only residual oil being found in ExxonMobil's Dunquin-1 in 2014, with the reservoir lacking an adequate seal to retain oil once it is charged.
Over the decades an estimated 200 wells have been drilled around Ireland yet there are only two commercial finds - the offshore Kinsale Head and Corrib gas fields, which were discovered in 1973 and 1992 respectively.
Work in FEL 3/14 by Petrel has defined five leads and two additional plays at three stratigraphic levels, including the Lower Eocene deltaic complexes, Lower Cretaceous mounded fan complexes similar in seismic character to many of the recent Cretaceous oil discoveries offshore West Africa and Upper Eocene fan mounds.
The mapped Eocene deltaic sands have the capability to host in-place reserves in excess of one billion barrels.
Drill depths to the top of the Eocene sand sequence are about 2500m subsea, in water depths of 700-800m.
Thick reservoir quality deltaic and shallow marine sandstones have been drilled in earlier wells in the region.
In FEL 4/14 there are plays at three stratigraphic levels, including 3 leads in the Lowermost Cretaceous Pinch-out, Lower Cretaceous fan complex as well as a Lower Tertiary play.
Drill depths of up to 3000m to the Lower Cretaceous marker in 1000m water depth.
