Delivery to Rathlin Energy’s West Newton-A well site, 4 December 2018. Photo: West Newton Gateway to the Gasfields Group
Rathlin Energy made the first delivery today to its East Yorkshire oil and gas site, which has been mothballed since 2014.
A consignment of mats from Moorhouse Petroleum Ltd in Bridlington went into the West Newton-A site, north of Hull, at lunchtime.
Opponents of Rathlin’s operation took part in a slow walk protest in front of the vehicle before police issued a five-step warning of arrests.
The company narrowly received planning permission last month (DrillOrDrop report) for another three years at the site. It proposes to drill a second well, which was approved under the original consent in January 2013.
Work plans
Rathlin is required by the Oil & Gas Authority to drill the new well by June 2019, the company told the local community liaison group.
In minutes released after the most recent meeting last month, Rathlin said the new well would evaluate the Kirkham Abbey formation, believed to contain gas, at around 1,800m. It would also test the Cadeby formation, though to hold oil, at about 1,900m. These sections of the well would be about 500m away from the original well at West Newton-A.
The minutes said the Bowland Shale was deeper that the proposed well, at about 3,000m.
The work would begin with constructing a new cellar, about 20m away from the original well cellar. The initial part of the well, the conductor casing, would then be installed. The construction work, which is permitted from 6am-7pm, Monday to Saturday, was expected to take two-three weeks, the minutes said.
When a rig became available from Europe, the main section of the well would be drilled. The work could be carried out 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and was expected to take six-eight weeks, the minutes said.
Rathlin has planning permission for another local well site, known as West Newton-B. Little work has been carried out there since consent was granted in 2015. The minutes said:
” If WNA is successful then it [West Newton-B] may be the next site they move to, but WNB needed to first be constructed whereas WNA is ready to go.”
The next community liaison group is due to take place on 15 January 2019.
Categories: Industry
DRILL OR DROP? 
Investors beware. This site is snake oil.
Investors beware; shale will not make you any money….
But good old bog standard gas may. Ask the Qataris. Or, visit the Egdon web site.
Agreed. This site purports to offer independent journalism but delivers nothing of the sort.
So, number plate? What is your definition of independent?
Oops!
https://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BedBathandBeyond/53315943090716p?$478$
The standard of this childish motor mouth comment from the IR8 (irate) wannabe attacking its hosts, pretty much reflects the source of its inner frustration doesnt it?
Reality very rarely matches the over ambition does it?
Good luck with the drilling. And protesters.
Nice, tidy, bit of hedge trimming there, Mr. Farmer. Did you have to fill out a traffic management plan to allow your tractor to “disrupt” traffic and create a lot of noise?
Not to worry. A helpful snow barrier for the winter to allow the locals to utilise the road, mainly in vehicles driven by fossil fuels, and to get home to sit by their gas fire.
Soon after Brexit all protest will fade out…