DrillOrDrop’s checklist of what to look out for in 2022 on UK onshore oil and gas
Decisions
Loxley/Dunsfold, Surrey: The outcome is expected soon on the public inquiry into UKOG’s plans to explore for gas near the village of Dunsfold. Residents are planning an event on 8 January to demonstrate that large lorries will need to cross common land without permission to reach the proposed site.
West Newton-A and B, East Yorkshire: Rathlin Energy promised it would submit a scaled-back planning application by the end of 2021 for four new wells and 20-years of oil production at West Newton-A. A formal notice has been published at the site in Holderness. The company has also applied to vary the site’s permit to allow oil production. At the same time, Rathlin said it would seek to extend the life of the West Newton-B site, where planning permission expires in 2022.
Bletchingley and Albury, Surrey: IGas has applied for permission to turn methane into grey hydrogen (without carbon capture and storage) at two of its sites in Surrey.
Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire: Angus Energy wants to reconfigure this site to make room for more gas generators and a larger flare.
Brockham, Surrey: Angus also wants to produce oil from a well at this site near Dorking. A decision is also awaited on the company’s application to the Environment Agency to reinject radioactive waste water at Brockham
North Kelsey, Lincolnshire: Egdon Resources has applied to extend the life of this oil exploration site for a third time and change the target location of the proposed well.
Puddletown, Dorset: We’ll continue to monitor South Western Energy’s application to drill for oil, which has seen no progress in the past year.
Appeals
We’ll also be watching for any appeals and public inquiries following refusals of planning permission in 2021 for operations at
- Balcombe, West Sussex
- Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire
- Arreton, Isle of Wight
Legal challenges
Decisions on court cases are expected in early 2022 on:
- Sarah Finch’s judicial review about Surrey County Council’s approval of long-term production at Horse Hill
- Friends of the Earth’s challenge to government investment in a gas project in Mozambique
We’ll also be watching to see if three young campaigners appeal after failing to sue the prime minister on government climate change actions.
This week, a group of teenagers in Portugal said they would use human rights law to force European politicians to tackle climate change.
Shale gas and fracking
- Will 2022 be the year that the shale gas industry produces evidence that it can accurately predict and mitigate the effects of induced earthquakes from fracking?
- And, if so, will this satisfy the government that it can lift the moratorium on fracking in England?
- If the moratorium were lifted, would ministers follow advice from the Climate Change Committee and first carry out an independent review of the climate impact of shale gas?
- Will predicted higher gas prices encourage ministers to change their current stand that the moratorium should stay in force?
There are no current planning permissions for shale gas development in the UK. But we’ll be watching for a decision from the communities secretary, Michael Gove, on plans for a shale gas test by IGas at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and exploration by Ineos at Woodsetts in South Yorkshire. The decisions had been expected in April 2020.A decision is also expected on Northern Ireland’s review into how firms get fracking licences.
Operations
Wressle, North Lincolnshire: Egdon Resources has said it will make a decision early in 2022 on the production rate for its Wressle well. The Oil & Gas Authority must also formally approve Wressle as a production site.
Horse Hill, Surrey: Plans for two new wells at Horse Hill were delayed in 2021 by UKOG’s operations in Turkey. We’ll be watching whether the Horse Hill drilling goes ahead in 2022.
Waddock Cross, Dorset: Egdon said it would decide in 2022 on a new horizontal oil well at this site. The work already has planning permission.
Keddington, Lincolnshire: Egdon also said production at Keddington could be increased by a new sidetrack, allowed under current planning permission.
Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire: Third Energy has plans to use its old gas sites to develop renewables projects.
Misson, Nottinghamshire: IGas is said to be in talks to restore this shale gas site after permission was refused for a planning extension.
Other key issues
Emissions: Will the UK government introduce new policies on reducing emissions from the production and use of fossil fuels, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee?
Protests: Will ministers get support for the latest changes to the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill, which proposes new offences of locking-on and going equipped to lock-on?
Divestment: Will more councils and universities halt pension fund investments in fossil fuels?
Production: Will UK onshore oil production rise above 15,000 barrels per day, not reached in 2021 (on the most recent data)?
Repurposing and renewables: Will the trend continue for repurposing oil and gas sites for geothermal energy, renewables and hydrogen? Will research show that carbon can be stored in old wells?
DRILL OR DROP? 
“DrillOrDrop’s checklist of what to look out for in 2022 on UK onshore oil and gas”
“Friends of the Earth’s challenge to government investment in a gas project in Mozambique”.
“This week, a group of teenagers in Portugal said they would use human rights law to force European politicians to tackle climate change.”
Mozambique and Portugal were not in the UK last time I checked – although Mozambique was a Portuguese colony in the past…..
Perhaps the checklist should be expanded to include all significant oil and gas projects globally, although “significant” would exclude anything onshore UK….
Examples:
https://jpt.spe.org/norways-apa-2021-licensing-round-attracts-key-applicants
[Image removed over possible copyright issues]
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Big-Oil-Is-Finally-Ready-To-Boost-Spending.html
https://www.watsonpost.com/upcoming-lng-projects/
And many more……
As the last damp squibs of the old year 2021 fade into obscurity.
To be confined to the hell (or should that be shell?) of the wrong side of history.
Along with the likes of Satan Klaus and the Anti-Crisis acolytes, the death cults and the genocide drugs.
To the end of the frauds of Gates and Fauci, of JoBi, and BoJo and the whine and cheese party excuses for democracy.
To the end of the greed and corruption of tax free haven funded corporations who run puppet governments against the wishes and interests of their constituents.
To the end of the power of the elitist Rockefeller’s, the Rothschild’s and the Koch’s, Blackrock and Vanguard.
To the end of ecocide and the sixth major extinction event of all life in the history of the Earth.
To the end of the deaths of 1 in 5 people worldwide due to fossil fuel pollution.
To the end of the rise of global temperature of 2.4 degrees centigrade or more that will cause massive planet-wide climate destruction.
To the end of the fossil fuel monopolies that are stealing the futures of our children and grandchildren and all future generations.
And to the rest of us, who wish for a better world in 2022.
“Auld Lang Syne”
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
And there’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand to thine
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
For auld lang syne
To a Happy New year for us all.
New policies on reducing emissions as recommended by the CCC??
Well, indeed-simples!
Cut down on the transport emissions by producing closer to the place fossils fuel are used-and as UK is a net importer then any oil and gas available locally should be exploited in preference to importation. Otherwise, the stuff will just be produced overseas under less stringent environmental controls and then shipped thousands of miles producing emissions and increasing the risk of another maritime disaster.
Forest fires in USA. Apparently, caused by fallen power cables! Trust those having to get in their cars and flee were not relying upon electricity to do so.
New Years honour in the post?