The small village of Dunsfold in Surrey could be on the UK’s second biggest onshore gas field, an exploration company said this morning.
UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) described its proposed well site near the village as “a significant gas resource”.
A report by the Xodus Group on the site, called Loxley, estimated the mean case gross gas initially in place at 49 bcf [billion cubic feet] and the mean gross recoverable resource at 34 bcf
Interpreting the findings, UKOG said:
“If proven by future production, the calculated gross mean recoverable resources would place Loxley second after the Saltfleetby gas field [in Lincolnshire], the UK onshore’s largest gas field to date, which produced approximately 73 bcf [billion cubic feet].”
A planning application for the Loxley site was refused on 29 June 2020 by Surrey County Council by six votes to five. This was against the recommendation of planning officers.
Five weeks later, the decision was ruled invalid after an investigation into problems during the remote council meeting.
The application is to be considered again at a future meeting.
UKOG said today it expected this to be on 22 October 2020, the next available meeting. But there have been suggestions that the decision is more likely to be made at a meeting in November.
UKOG’s chief executive, Stephen Sanderson, said:
“The [Xodus] report underlines the Company’s stated viewpoint that Loxley is a material UK gas resource, potentially one of the largest in the UK onshore’s history, capable in the success case of making a significant and timely contribution to the local and national requirement for net zero compliant energy.”
Today’s report and comments by UKOG are far more positive than analysis by Xodus for UKOG in 2018.
This said the dataset for the Godley Bridge gas discovery, near Dunsfold, “gives significant uncertainty in the assessment of in place volumes”.
Xodus said there was gas bearing reservoir in all its scenarios for UKOG’s Dunsfold licence, PEDL234. But it said “more data is required to properly estimate the in place volumes”.
Xodus added “a further modern appraisal well and extended test is required to narrow the current uncertainties and enable a better estimation of potential recoverable resources to be undertaken”.
DRILL OR DROP? 
From the company that likes to call itself The Second Biggest Everything #UKOG
Like Horse Hill was called the second biggest oil site after Wytch Farm , it’s probably not going to be top 10 after the next OGA production figures.
I wonder how much sour gas Loxley area holds ?
So share price ramping in the run up to the Dunsfold decision.
Expect another placement imminently, and for the day traders gaming the long term holders to pour scorn on the notion, as they empty the pockets of the LTHs.
Another blow for Dunsfold: the Gatwick flightpath, the large encampment near the airfield, failure to return the airfield to agricultural land as per covenant, now thts.
Have to ask an estate agent, whether house prices would be higher for properties sat on top of a large gas accumulation, or lower-once identified. Suspect the latter.
Best to have it removed! Using the oil example at Wytch Farm, property prices not likely to be reduced during removal. Win/win.
There is more to this than property prices, @Martin. Much much more.