West Newton-A wellsite, 14 October 2019. Photo: West Newton Gateway to the Gasfields

Union Jack Oil has announced plans to restart an extended well test at the West Newton-A oil and gas site in East Yorkshire.

In a statement and press release today, the company said a revised operating plan for the test had been filed with the Environment Agency (EA).

The test on the second well at West Newton-A stopped within a week in August 2019 after encountering oil. The site operator, Rathlin Energy, had originally expected to test the well, drilled in June 2019, for gas.

A new test had been designed that was “better suited to evaluate” the oil, Union Jack said today.

The company added that the Health and Safety Executive had no objections:

“Following EA approval, the operator will notify the Oil and Gas Authority in respect of the recommencement of the EWT [extended well test].”

West Newton –B

Rathlin Energy has had permission since 2015 to drill wells at a nearby site, called Weston Newton-B. Under the terms of the consent, work must begin by June 2020.

Union Jack’s statement said:

“The bottom hole drilling location for the B-1 well has been finalised and preparations are currently underway for the works required for the commencement of operations at the B site, which will begin during Q2 2020.

“The first well drilled from the B site is designed to further appraise the Kirkham Abbey formation, and to test the deeper Cadeby formation at its optimum location.”

Union Jack has a 16.665% stake in the West Newton licence, PEDL183. Another investor in the licence, Reabold Resources, described West Newton in June 2019 as “potentially the UK’s largest onshore hydrocarbon discovery since 1973.”

Union Jack’s executive chairman, David Bramhill, said today:

“All the results to date continue to support our belief that West Newton is a large-scale, conventional, onshore oil and gas development asset.

“Union Jack has already met its financial commitments in respect of funding the EWT on West Newton A-2 and, with cash resources in excess of £6.5 million, we are more than adequately funded for the drilling and testing of the West Newton B-1 well and the EWT on the B-2 well.”