CORRECTED - UPDATE 1-Serica plans drilling in Ireland, Vietnam

(Corrects CEO's surname to Ellis from Harris) (Adds CEO comment, detail, shares)

By John Bowker

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - British oil & gas explorer Serica Energy (SQZ.L) is planning this year to start drilling on new territories offshore Ireland and in Vietnam, Chief Executive Paul Ellis said on Tuesday.

The company raised $52 million in a share placing completed on Monday to be used on new exploration and Harris said the firm was ready to expand outside existing operations in Indonesia, Norway and the North Sea.

"We raised $50 million for exploration -- we have attractive licenses off the West Coast of Ireland and we want to get those drilled as soon as we can," he said in a telephone interview.

"They are look-a-like prospects to Shell's (RDSa.L) Corrib prospects, and are attractive partly due to the tax rate in Ireland."

He added that drilling slots were booked for Ireland -- although due to weather restrictions it was not definite the wells would be drilled this year. The firm hopes to begin drilling in Vietnam in September or October.

Shares in Serica were up 3 percent at 96.25 pence by 1332 GMT, valuing the company at 170 million pounds ($336.1 million).

Ellis was speaking from Jakarta, where he is awaiting results from the group's second well on the Biliton block in the Java Sea, due this weekend.

The first well did not find hydrocarbons.

Ellis said the firm was unlikely to take part in any consolidation of the small-cap oil and gas sector, despite a lack of production.

"We are an exploration play with no production -- not a great position to be in with oil prices the way they are," he said. "It would be nice to have production now but the firm is still at an early stage."

U.S. Oil CLc1 topped $100 a barrel last week for the first time, and remains comfortably above $95.

"To get production (quickly) we would have to buy it...We do look at the possibility for consolidation , particularly in the AIM sector, but there has not been a lot," Ellis said.

"A problem is the natural egos of those who start companies -- if you try a merger with no cash, you have to satisfy each of the boards."

As well as the $52 million raised for exploration, Serica has a debt facility for development worth $100 million. (Reporting by John Bowker; Editing by David Holmes and Sue Thomas)