Horse Hill well site. 26 October 2019. Photo: DrillOrDrop
People have until tomorrow (Monday 25 November 2019) to comment on changes to the environmental permits for the Horse Hill oil site in Surrey.
The operator, Horse Hill Developments Limited (HHDL), wants drill new oil production wells and a water-reinjection borehole at the site near Gatwick Airport.
It also wants to install oil processing, storage and tanker loading facilities to allow oil to be exported.
Planning permission was granted for these activities in September 2019. But the operations must also be approved by the Environment Agency. (DrillOrDrop report)
Details
HHDL is seeking consent to carry out the following activities:
- Construct of five new drilling cellars
- Drill four new hydrocarbon wells
- Drill an additional well to be used for produced water re-injection well
- Carry out 90-day extended well test on drilling each of the four new oil wells
- Carry out well maintenance workovers and operations, including acid wash and/oil hot oil treatment
- Drill well side-tracks, if necessary
- Produce oil from wells
- Install oil processing, storage and tanker loading facilities
- Store produced oil and water in separate tanks
- Discharge surface rain water from the well site extension into Spencer’s Gill
- Generation of electricity for export
Link to DrillOrDrop review of permit changes
Categories: Regulation
DRILL OR DROP? 
I do not think any water around the site, where there is a possibility of it being contaminated by chemicals used in the process, should be released into any watercourse whatsoever, to prevent the possibility, however remote, of contamination to drinking water and/or aquatic marine and other wildlife.
There seems to have bene many arthquakes since UKOG have started their oil drilling works in the area. It seems common sense that there must be a link between UKOG’s activities in the area and an incidence of increasing earthquakes.
UKOG should prove they have sufficient funds for the clean up operations for Horse Hill and other projects (which they should carry out in full to restore other sites to their pre drilling environmental status) before any new permissions are granted for Horse Hill. In other words UKOG should have a proven track record of restoration of the environment in other areas where they have been given the go ahead for drilling activities before any new permissions are granted by the Environmental Agency.
Perhaps you should contact the EA then Linda and let them know your views? I would suspect they will consider some of the issues you have concerns about, whilst others will have already been covered and are outside of their remit.
Linda
Obviously you are unaware of UKOG’s previous restoration works that I am sure the EA are.
They show the good environmental character of the company.
A little research before spouting off would not leave you with egg on your face.
MH
And what restoration works would those be?
I will leave you to do your own research!
MH
Those restoration works are still active and come under the purview of the OGA.