Protest at drilling nin Balcombe in 2013. Photo: DrillOrDrop
Residents in the West Sussex village of Balcombe are preparing for the first activity at an exploratory oil site for five years.
Cuadrilla drilled the well on the edge of the village in summer 2013, accompanied by the biggest anti-fracking protests then seen in the UK.
The company left the well untested when planning permission expired in September 2013. Operation of the site at Little Stumble has since been transferred to Angus Energy, which also runs oil sites at Lidsey in West Sussex and Brockham in Surrey.
But yesterday, Balcombe Parish Council announced that it had been approached “at very short notice” to participate in a community liaison group about the site.
This morning, Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association (FFBRA), a group opposed to the oil operations, told its members:
“Angus are coming to Balcombe”.
FFBRA said was preparing to raise money to fight any future planning application for oil production at the site.
“Well test by September”
Last month, Angus Energy tweeted:
“We hope our followers are enjoying the last weeks of summer. Team at Angus working hard. 21 May guidance is unchanged”.
That guidance, issued in a statement to investors said:
“Angus Energy will conduct an approved 7 day well test on the horizontal well at Balcombe before the end of the Q3/18. The market will be updated in due course.”
For the work to be completed by the end of September, Angus Energy would need to start in just over a fortnight by 24 September.
Last month, the Environment Agency issued a permit for Lower Stumble but required checks and work to be carried out before the flow test could start. These include conditions on emissions monitoring, site containment, leak detection, a pollution incident plan and a plan for vapour recovery.
Angus Energy must inform West Sussex County Council at least seven days before the flow test starts. But DrillOrDrop understands that the council is not required to tell local people.
Community liaison
The community liaison group (GLG) is a condition required by West Sussex County Council when it unanimously extended planning permission at the site for two years in January.
A post on Balcombe Parish Council’s website said:
“Balcombe Parish Council has been approached at very short notice to participate in a Community Liaison Group (CLG) with Angus Energy, WSCC [West Sussex County Council], The Environment Agency and MSDC [Mid Sussex District Council].
“The CLG has been set up to provide a conduit for information regarding forthcoming flow test activity at Lower Stumble in Balcombe.”
The parish council added:
“No information on timescales for any activity at Lower Stumble has been given to date.”
In an update on its website, FFBRA said the composition of the CLG has not been finalised but it expected to be represented. It said:
“The purpose of this group is not to challenge, lobby or protest about the oil operation. It is to act as a structured conduit for questions from residents to Angus – and for their responses to be conveyed back, shared and made public.”
Questions for the CLG can be sent to Balcombe Parish Council by midday today (Wednesday 5 September 2018) by email to the Parish Council clerk or by phoning 01444 811833.
FFBRA said it would also take questions by email, send them to Angus and publicise the answers.
Terms of reference
On 10 September 2018, Angus Energy published the terms of reference for the CLG.
This said there would be about 15 people on the group. It would be chaired by the local county councillor and include two district councillors, two parish councillors, officers from the county and district councils and Environment Agency, and representatives of Angus Energy and the local community.
The CLG is to meet monthly for a maximum of two hours. There should be at least one meeting before operations start. Meetings will stop one month after operations are completed. Meetings are open only to CLG members but documents and minutes will be made available online.
Angus Energy will chose the venue for pay for the costs of administering the meetings.
Oil production
If the flow test is successful, Angus Energy is expected to submit a planning application for production.
FFBRA said:
“Many residents believe the oil business has packed up and gone away. Cuadrilla may have packed up, but Angus Energy is back. We need to oppose the production licence application, when it comes, and we shall not have long to prepare. We need to start now.”
The group said it was preparing to launch an appeal to raise money for expert advice.
Updated: 10/9/2018 with terms of reference of the CLG
Categories: Regulation
DRILL OR DROP? 
When will you get it in your thick scull .Angus energy will not be fracking. [Edited by moderator] The production pump will mostly be underground and are landscaped.Home grown energy for Uk and jobs income for Surrey .As you know Surrey county council is already bankrupt.We need this investment asap
Read statement to investors.Angest energy will NOT be Fracking.Only conventional oil /gas extraction.Get it in your thick sculls
[Comments removed by moderator]
West Sussex Council invested in?
West Sussex’s fund has £119 million invested in companies with fracking activities. The county is home to the controversial Balcombe site, which Cuadrilla Resources tried and failed to frack in 2013. The company was given the go-ahead to restart testing at the site in January 2018, despite opposition from the local community.
https://www.desmog.co.uk/2018/08/31/uk-council-pensions-invest-billions-fracking-companies-ties-trump
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11038176.West_Sussex_council_invests_in_fracking_firms/
So Jono explain to me how the Council says no to fossil fuel extraction because it’s so bad for the environment but…
But the Council will invest £Millions in Overseas fracking Operations which will result in a far far greater amounts of CO2 Emissions.
Please explain…
Kishney, you are like some of the other people on here, buying into the idea of either living in fear at the “lights going out” (in the words of “Mayhem) or you have an agenda like many others on here which are simply motivated by making money irrespective of the cost to the environment and peoples property etc.
But, so long as you’re alright Jack… eh!
I think motivated by making money irrespective of the cost to the environment and peoples property is Local Councils investing £9,000,000,000 in foreign fracking Companies
Not considering energy security of Supply to the U.K is the Local Councils refusing planning permission, going against their own planning officers and Government Guidelines to further their own positions on the Council whilst investing £Billions in the same industry overseas IS an I’m Alright Jack attitude…
The Councils are Hypocrite NIMBYS of the highest order to the tune of £9,000,000,000
To all the antis and Russian sympathisers out there who over the past few months have said there is no proof that Russia was behind the Salisbury Nerve agent poisonings
Russian Nationals suspected of Conspiracy to Murder Yulia & Sergei Skripal named as Alexander Petrov & Ruslan Boshirov
The U.K will continue to become more and more reliant on Russian Gas year on year unless the U.K develops a further home grown gas supply. The reason as the Groningen Dutch gas field reduces output Russian gas will fill this gap and as Nord Stream 2 completes more Russian gas will flow directly into the European grid and ultimately to the U.K…
Relying on Russian gas be it piped or LNG from Yamal into Milford Haven is a dangerous game especially at such times as the Beast from the East when we received an LNG delivery from Russia…
Good to see Balcome residents gearing up again to oppose the production licence.
On with nonsense again. Yawn.
I will keep it simple. 2017 facts.
The UK does not import natural gas and LNG from Russia. The physical origins of the gas through the pipelines are not available. It is possible that a very small amount of gas from Russia finds its way across continental Europe to the UK, but given the gas pipeline infrastructure it is believed that most of the gas from the Netherlands is sourced from the Dutch sector of the North Sea, and that most of the gas from Belgium is sourced from Norway via Zeepipe (which terminates at Zeebrugge). Thus any UK gas sourced from Russia is negligible.
Click to access DUKES_2017_Annexes_E___J_and_long-term_trends.pdf
We export oil and gas around the same amounts we import in LNG. If you want to stop importing then stop exporting. It’s not complicated.
North sea output has risen over last 3 years.
We all know about Groningen. We also know that Cuadrilla has lost their licence in the Netherlands. There is little chance of them getting it back as the new rules on licencing take into account environmental consideration. As Groningen has been destroyed through earthquakes from gas developments the Country is going to ban future onshore extraction.
We have secure diverse oil and gas suppliers. We do not need or want any more.
John
Please please please
We have been over this time and time again
WE IMPORT GAS FROM RUSSIA
By 2020, 90% of our gas is due to be imported.
Half of Britain’s imports of liquefied natural gas so far this year have come from Russia, illustrating how UK households have started sending more money to Moscow after Vladimir Putin made boosting exports of the super-cooled fuel a priority.
https://www.ft.com/content/62856154-26b1-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/the-source/our-world-of-energy/energys-grand-journey/where-does-uk-gas-come-from
https://www.rt.com/business/420464-russia-lng-tanker-britain/
https://www.energyvoice.com/opinion/180412/over-reliance-on-imported-gas-could-be-risky-business-for-uk/
John Powney
I agree that it is difficult to say that we import Russian gas by pipeline, and a reasonable assumption that we import Dutch and Norwegian gas from our connectors, although molecules of gas may get through.
To say we import Russian gas via pipeline we would need either a contract with a Russian supplier to say so I guess.
But the point re reliance on Russia is relevant. If or when the Netherlands reduces its Groningen output then Europe will need to import more Norwegian and or Russian gas to make up the shortfall. Europe and hence the UK will then rely on Russian gas to be available to keep supplied, unless we up our LNG imports.
LNG is interesting! I will leave that to others.
Re exporting, we export to Ireland, and that gas should be discounted as it is probably Norwegian gas passing through. Plus, as you know, our fleet of offshore gas platforms in the Southern N.Sea prefers to produce smoothly and at a good price, so when it’s warm in the UK, but cold in Europe it makes sense to export, if the price is right and we have a surplus on the day ( from Scotland and Norway ).
John Powney, at 465 TWh production was flat on last year, up just 0.3 per cent. While recent years have seen modest increases, the small rise in 2017 includes just under 9 TWh of gas from the Rough facility. This former long term storage site has been drawing down on last available reserves in preparation for closure, and production of cushion gas has been included in 2017 production figures. Not including this volume, gross production would have fallen by 1.5 per cent this year.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/sep/04/nerve-agent-used-on-skripals-same-one-that-killed-dawn-sturgess
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/08/us-russia-sanctions-nerve-agent-attack-salisbury
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/05/salisbury-poisoning-two-russians-charged-conspiracy-murder-novichok/
Are you happy to rely on Russian gas to heat your homes?
This will be brilliant for the local community.
Are you talking about the £119Million invested by the Council in Foreign Fracking Operations?
Are you talking about the £119Million invested by the Council in Foreign Fracking Operations?
Are we talking about Chinese investment in UK shale?
http://www.refracktion.com/index.php/shale-gas-take-away-anyone/
I have the perfect solution
U.K Councils invest in U.K Industry if they want that type of investment
Also Government ring fence Industries of National Importance like shale gas as I’m sure this October it will be…
Shale Gas being of National Importance that is…
No doubt you live right next to a fracking / acidisation unconventional oil drilling site, ha ha haah!!!
I live in Kirkham 3 miles from the Cuadrilla PNR site. No Problems here.
Where do you live?
[Comment removed by moderator]
[Edited by moderator]
This is such a pivotal time for securing the U.Ks energy needs for many years to come espescially with Brexit literally months away
The future security of supply and economic implications both to households and businesses alike is at a very real turning point.
Local Councils making very important planning decisions, in most cases going against their own planning officers and Government guidelines to further their own positions with direct conflict of interests with their own £Billions of foreign fracking investments is a complete contradiction regarding the reasons for refusal to U.K industry. I find it tantamount to treason…
If the security and economic supply of gas as a base load energy source to the U.K is not addressed shortly then market forces from ever increasing foreign supplies will cause yearly price hikes the likes we have seen this year and every year to come…
Look at photo at the top this drillordrop post .The Weald basin/ Balcombe IS a Frack free zone [Edited by moderator]
As the caption makes clear, this photo was taken in 2013.
So why use this out of date photo on this post ?? Mr seaman .Fake news .Propoganda .And why are Frack free Balcombe residents association.Still using words Frack Free At the start of FFBRA .As this site is Frack free It should be BRAAAOP Balcombe residents association against any oil production )Read statement to investors from Angus energy plc in drillordrop post above .Mr paul seaman
Spade
It is a self fulfilling prophecy in my opinion.
The term ‘fracking’ has been a moveable feast.
A few years ago when this all kicked off, the industry pointed out that fracking had occurred in the past, so why the worry.
The reply was that it was now HVHP fracking of shale, which was a different ball game in terms of number of wells ( and rapid decline in output), high energy input, issues of frack water disposal and so on.
Since then it has moved back to being any form of activity that involves fracturing rock, no matter how small. Especially in the weald where there is no sign of HPHV fracking of the shale ( although some think it will turn up some time as per reports here on DOD ).
Plus, should a company run a small acid frack in the Portland ( say ) then those against oil exploration and production in the weald will think that all their birthdays have come at once, and their forecast has come true.
Should this not happen then the definition will need expanding further, perhaps to perforating, where explosives fracture the rock, and so on to keep the prophesy alive.
Meanwhile having made all the banners, it would be a waste of plastic to throw them away I guess as the area is a frack free zone at present ( as applied to oil and gas development ) but not frack free for other wells or activities.
[Edited by moderator] Interesting to see they censor my two innocuous posts challenging Jono [edited by moderator]
Just keep posting the truth
We remove all references to lying – it is usually not possible to know whether someone knows something is untrue when they say it (which would be lying) or whether they genuinely believe it even though it is wrong (when they would be mistaken).
Are you referring to the comment made by a poster saying we do not get gas from Russia?
To which I pointed out we do get gas from Russia
The original poster then realises he was mistaken
Thanks…
Paul…You certainly don’t remove all references to lying. You routinely allow posters to lie about fracking taking place at sites where it is not and will not be taking place. It’s at the core of DoD’s existence and the broader anti-O&G movement in general to peddle fear based on this and other untruths.
He’s right Paul
You either moderate all as an impartial or just filter out abusive posts
Paul you are increasingly posting comments giving you a very unfair advantage as you are judge and jury
There has to be some perk to being the moderator.
On a serious note, references to lying are removed whenever I spot them – please draw my attention to any I miss. You can say people are mistaken – as I pointed out elsewhere this is different from saying they are lying.
MPs manage to follow this convention during debates in Parliament, so surely we can do so as well?
You paul seaman as a moderator nimby .Do,nt know who you are .Reveal yourself .Are using your power to silence comments in favour of oil production in the Weald. Drillordrop are using old photos a proper-gander for there own agenda
There are quite a number of contributors who post regularly in favour of onshore oil and gas without needing to be moderated.
We have rules which we ask people who are contributing to the blog to follow. If you find these rules irksome or unfair, there are other sites you can contribute to instead.
See DrillOrDrop’s comment policy:
https://drillordrop.com/drillordrop-comment-policy/ and
https://drillordrop.com/2017/01/07/new-year-new-comment-policy/
Why should we go to other sites When you post your propaganda [Edited by moderator] And not confront you drillordrop /Ruth Hayhurst /paulseaman To find out what your agenda is .Come clean Mr paul seaman .Like a gentleman
See https://drillordrop.com/about/
May you should come clean .Mr paul seaman .And reveal what Your agenda really is .Are you a nimblest a swampies.Not in my backyard .Just an honest answer would be nice What is you qualifications to be a moderator on Drillordrop?
Read again statement to investors There will NOT be any Hydraulic Frackering or fracking at Balcombe .Or any site in the Weald [edited by moderator]
[Comment removed by bias anti]
Seeing a lot of this recently, the moderator is reducing voice from those in favour of uk onshore oil and gas. not on.
Didn’t think this site could get any more one sided, but now it is suppressing views in the comment section too.