Campaigners against drilling at Biscathorpe in Lincolnshire, 31 October 2018. Photo: SOS Biscathorpe
Opponents of oil drilling at Biscathorpe in the Lincolnshire Wolds have protested against the start of site construction work.
Local campaigners and representatives had urged Lincolnshire County Council to refuse an extension of planning permission at the site in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) near Louth.
They raised concerns about impacts on the AONB and the threat of water pollution to a chalk stream nearby. But the council’s planning committee, meeting in May 2018, voted unanimously in favour. DrillOrDrop report
The site operator, Egdon Resources, said this week that site construction was “nearing completion”.
In a statement in the company’s preliminary results, chairman, Philip Stephens, said:
“Our commitment to conventional resources exploration remains, as demonstrated by the planned near-term drilling of the exploration well at Biscathorpe-2 where site construction is nearing completion.
“Drilling is now expected to commence late in 2018 on conclusion of all site works.”
Egdon estimated that the well, to be known as Biscathorpe-2, would give Egdon mean prospective resources 5 million barrels of oil.
The exploration licence covering Biscathorpe, PEDL253, has been extended by the Oil and Gas Authority to 30 June 2020.
A group campaigning against the work, SOS Biscathorpe, said there had been “no recorded baseline sample” of the chalk stream near the site and that no monitoring was being undertaken on the River Bain.
Categories: Industry
DRILL OR DROP? 
Last time I looked, the River Test was pretty pristine, and still one of the world’s top fisheries. Biggest pollution source are the tourists throwing their tea cakes into the water at Stockbridge to feed the huge trout.
Novel “security guards” deployed looking at the ‘photos.
Such drama for nothing.
3 people in plastic masks and plastic jackets drive to the gates, take photos on their plastic phones, drive home put their Gas central heating on and tap away on their plastic laptops using electricity (50% produced through Gas) and post how much they are against oil & Gas…
Great day out…
Are those plastic signs they’re holding up?
Plastic masks, Polyester Hi Viz vests, tut tut. I agree with protesting, but personally you cant be THAT hypocritical.
The majority of pollution in Lincolnshire and its rivers is from pesticides, fertilisers and the cheap red subsidised Diesel the ‘poor’ farmers get through.
Plant more trees. Then carbon capture isnt a problem. Or you could ask a diver about CO2 PPM and what happens to ALL life on this planet if it falls to too lower level.
Or you could have a Government working towards reducing the effects of climate change by maximising our renewable potential and implementing energy saving projects.
That is not what this Government is doing. Far from it.
No need for new fossil fuel developments that threaten AONB and water supplies.
If all the antis don’t want to use oil or gas products. Stop using them…
It seems to be the go to argument by antis that it’s the Government’s fault making you use oil and gas?
The Government gave fantastic feed in tariffs for solar. Did you take it up?
What about all the tax breaks for electric cars. Have you got one?
Free insulation, got that one?
Post online your total off grid conversion and get everybody to follow suit. It really is that easy.
But for now enjoy your car, Gas central heating and electricity, phone, iPad etc and stop blaming the Government for keeping you alive!
Not everyone can afford to take up the ‘fantastic feed in tariffs for solar’ or is an appropriate home to be able take them up. Those who are in a position to do so are the lucky ones, those of us who are not are trying hard to make a difference but at every turn face issues of affordability, especially in rural areas. If we are to look to the future of our children’s children it makes no sense what so ever to sustain this policy of fossil fuel investment, it is short sighted and serves the interests of money makers.
Long term Investment in fossil free fuels will drive down costs and make them affordable for the majority – then the general public will be able to choose freely where they get their fuels from.
Proper education about the effects of fossil fuels will educate our young and give them the tools to make their own choices based on the interests of our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Right now I sit in my home with heated with oil fuel because I am in rented accommodation and can afford no other choice, however the heating is not on – ambient temperature is around 18 degrees and I am dressed in jumpers – because I Do have that choice; I drive a petrol car because I can’t afford any other choice; I use my computer run by fossil fueled electricity because I can’t afford any other fuel choice – however, my son is playing on the floor – well acclimatized to lower temperatures (now sitting in just his PJ bottoms because he is ‘boiling hot’ – playing with wooden toys with a backdrop of various things made out of recycled boxes – not a computer in sight(other than mine), because now there ARE affordable choices for children toys – alternatives to expensive wooden toys are increasingly coming on the market – driven by consumer demand and companies listening to the people over the usage of plastics. (another massive debate and potentially one where someone will say ‘how are those companies making those toys?’…! Lets not go there right now – we have a long way to go!)
The point is that if there was long term investment in fossil free fuels our when our children have children they could be in the position where there were no other choice than to be sat in a home that was fossil fuel free. IMAGINE that!
We have a long, long way to go, but CHANGE MUST START NOW.
Nice article Claire…
You’re point that long term investment in fossil free fuels… Wind Turbines, Solar Panels and tidal is expensive and will push up your energy bills.
9% of your energy bill is already green tax subsidising intermittent renewables.
Intermittent renewables whatever they are will always require base load power provided by Gas, Nuclear or coal… Why? Because when the wind doesn’t blow and few daylight hours and only a certain number of hours per day tidal movement these intermittent renewables will not produce and require base load power ready to take over…
If you can also afford to have a car you are purposely buying into the fossil fuel world…
This article is about oil production onshore in the U.K. I am sure you are happy the Government has frozen fuel duty which keeps more money in your pocket. Oil production in the U.K will give valuable tax revenues to the U.K and enable the Government to maintain an energy price cap and other services like child benefits and also not increase tax revenue from fuel duty.
However way you put it by voluntarily choosing to buy a petrol car, using electric by the most economic provider buying plastic goods, ie your computer and choosing rental properties using oil to heat your home you are subscribing to keeping your family alive using fossil fuels no matter how many wooden toys you use; I take it manufactured in the U.K not China?
By Continuing to import more and more oil and Gas from foreign sources which is increasing in price will not only incur higher fuel bills for the people of the U.K but is a higher amount of CO2 Emissions than if it was sourced direct in the U.K…
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/02/number-of-uk-households-in-energy-debt-rises-by-3000000
Looks like 3 out of work on shore wind turbine salesmen, with little else to do.
I suspect we enjoy posts from others with similar problems, on this site.
The energy market is a competitive mix. As Kisheny states correctly there are plenty of options for people to chose from, if they so wish. Trying to impose their own choices, which few of them make themselves, smacks of Dracula pushing veganism.
teacakes? [Edited by moderator]
Didn’t the Lincolnshire group who put an injunction on the Lincolnshire Council lose there case? How much of the battle fund did that cost? What a waste of money !! How much was that? £10,000 £15,000 ???
yeah, I believe so. Also didn’t get reported on this…