Rathlin Energy’s West Newton-B well site, 19 April 2020. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent

Rathlin Energy has applied to connect its oil and gas exploration site in East Yorkshire connection to the electricity grid.

The company sent an update yesterday to the local community liaison group for the West Newton B site because members were unable to meet under Covid-19 restrictions.

Rathlin has planning permission to drill two wells at the site near Burton Constable to explore the Kirkham Abbey and Cadeby formations.

Work began on the site last month, starting with the access track.

The update said:

“An application has been made to Northern Power Grid for a temporary mains connection. This has environmental benefits of allowing mains electric in place of generators on site for some equipment.”

It also revealed that 1,000 tonnes of aggregate, or 50 lorry loads, had been used to form the first 900m of the access. The work is expected to take four weeks.

Other new details included:

• Removal of hedgerow and a tree to make way for highway access from the site to two roads.
• Highway dilapidation surveys carried out on the roads
• Noise monitoring equipment deployed at local properties
• Traffic management plan approved, allowing access to the site during construction from 7am-6pm Monday-Saturday. No access is allowed on Sundays or bank holidays.

The update also confirmed that the highway access from the site had been installed at Pasture Lane and permanent gates, curbs and tarmac would be installed “in the next few days”.

The drilling compound would be fenced when soil stripping started, the company said. Site construction was expected to take five-six weeks.

The initial phase of drilling, to set the conductor pipe, would depend on any government Covid-19 restrictions and the availability of equipment and personnel, the update said.

The conductor rig would drill a borehole to about 80m, which would be cased and cemented, Rathlin said. This work would take two-three days and was designed to provide a stable base for the main drilling rig.

The update said the main drilling rig would be mobilised and built over eight-ten days and drilling the main borehole, to a depth of 2,100m, would take seven-eight weeks.

• Rathlin also said a well test at its other East Yorkshire site, West Newton A, was due to restart “once government restrictions allow access to personnel and equipment”.