A convoy of equipment under police escort arrived at Rathlin Energy’s West Newton oil exploration site in East Yorkshire yesterday (17 August 2020).
The delivery included the conductor rig, which will drill the initial 80m section of the borehole.
A statement this morning from Union Jack Oil, one of the project partners, said drilling the conductor hole would “commence shortly”. Work is permitted from 7am-6pm, Monday-Saturday.
Union Jack said work had been finished on the wellsite and access track. All permits and permissions were in place for drilling and pre-operational conditions had been satisfied.
An impermeable membrane and surface water discharge system had been installed, the company said. Two drilling cellars, dug out areas below the conductor rig, had also been completed and the site had been connected to the electricity grid, the statement added.
Equipment deliveries to West Newton B in East Yorkshire, 17 August 2020. Photos: West Newton Observation Station
Union Jack said the main drilling rig would be mobilised and rigged over a period of 1-2 weeks. But it did not say when this was expected. Drilling the 2,000m borehole is expected to take 6-10 weeks, the company said.
DRILL OR DROP? 
Phew
I have just passed (reversed out of the way) a number of large vehicles – being turf cutting machines and associated lorries that were that wide, cars could not pass them. Some serious backing up required.
No police escort though.
Are the police there in case of theft?
Thankfully someone thought about local residents with noise monitoring and control measures in place at the exploration site, very different approach from that taken by some of our renewable neighbors.
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/wind-turbines-onshore-offshore-wind-3796055.amp
Screening request submitted to East Riding council for West Newton C & D.
They are going to need more than the current 4 activists based at the disruption camp.