Almost a fifth of UK onshore production fields have extracted no oil or gas in the past five years, according to analysis by DrillOrDrop.
We also found that nearly half of onshore fields had periods of no production in the first half of this year. For many of these fields, there has been no extraction for large parts of the past five years either.
Our analysis showed that the most recent monthly production data for 40 onshore oil and gas sites was below their monthly average for the past five years.
The apparent failure of many onshore fields to maximise oil and gas production in this period seems surprising because it coincided with many months of high prices. The UK’s benchmark oil price, brent crude, was above $60 a barrel for much of the past five years, except the first 12 months of the covid pandemic. It peaked at more than $112 in June 2022.
DrillOrDrop’s analysis is based on official production statistics submitted by field operators and published monthly by the regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). The fields are those listed by NSTA in its database of formal onshore oil and gas producers. The most recent data available is for July 2023. We plan to repeat this analysis every six months.
We will continue to review monthly releases of data from NSTA. The next is due at the beginning of November 2023.
No oil or gas for five years
12 UK onshore oil and gas production fields extracted no fossil fuels in the past five years. This represents 17% of the total number of UK onshore fields.
Seven of the fields were oil producers:
- Avington (Star Energy, Hampshire)
- Dukes Wood (Heyco, Nottinghamshire)
- Kirklington (Heyco, Nottinghamshire)
- Nettleham (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Newton-on-Trent (Britnrg, Lincolnshire)
- Scampton (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Waddock Cross (Heyco, Dorset)
Three of the fields are operated by Heyco, formerly Egdon Resources, three by Star Energy (formerly IGas) and one by Britnrg. Three of the fields are in Lincolnshire two in Nottinghamshire, one in Dorset and one in Hampshire
Another six non-producers were gas fields:
- Elswick (Cuadrilla, Lancashire)
- Humbly Grove Gas Storage (EP UK Investments, Hampshire)
- Kirkleatham (Heyco, North Yorkshire)
- Markham (Infinis, Derbyshire)
- Whitwell Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, West Yorkshire)
Five of these fields are in northern England and one in Hampshire. They are operated by five companies.
The NSTA recently removed formal production status from eight former gas sites in Ryedale in North Yorkshire at Kirby Misperton, Marishes, Malton and Pickering. Many of these sites had been dormant for several years. Some of these sites are now being piloted for production of geothermal energy.
No recent production
A total of 34 onshore oil and gas fields had no extraction for at least a month in the first half of 2023. Many reported no production for several months. These fields represented 49% of UK onshore fields.
In addition to the seven onshore oil fields with no production for the past five years, another nine reported recent periods of no production:
- Brockham (Angus Energy, Surrey) – last produced November 2018
- Crosby Warren (Europa Oil & Gas, North Lincolnshire) – zero production in June 2023
- Egmanton (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced May 2023
- Fiskerton Airfield (Heyco, Licolnshire – last produced February 2022
- Lidsey (Angus Energy, West Sussex) – last produced April 2020
- Palmers Wood (Star Energy, Surrey) – zero production in March and April 2023
- South Leverton (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced August 2022
- Storrington – zero production in February 2023
- Wareham (Perenco, Dorset) – last produced May 2023
As well as the six gas fields with no production for five years, another 15 reported periods of no recent production.:
- Airth (Ineos Industries, Falkirk) – last produced November 2020
- Askern Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, South Yorkshire) – last produced March 2023
- Bevercotes Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced March 2023
- Cadeby Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, South Yorkshire) – last produced July 2023
- Doe Green (Ineos, Warrington) – last produced May 2023 (0.1ksm)
- Florence Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Staffordshire) – last produced June 2023 and before that August 2022
- Gedling Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced January 2023
- Hatfield Moors (Scottish Power, South Yorkshire) – last produced June 2023
- Hatfield Moors Gas Storage (Scottish Power UK, South Yorkshire) – last produced November 2019, the only production month in the past five years
- Kings Mill Hospital Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced October 2022 (0.07ksm)
- Mansfield Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced August 2022
- Markham Main (Infinis Energy, South Yorkshire) – zero production in June 2023
- Newmarket Colliery Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, West Yorkshire) – production gap in April 2023
- Sherwood Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced October 2022
- Warsop Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – last produced in May 2023 (1.63ksm)
Ten, operated by Infinis Energy, extract methane from former coal mines. The others are operated by Ineos in Falkirk and Warrington and Scottish Power in South Yorkshire.
Charts
Falling fields
23 oil fields and 17 gas fields reported falling production in recent months, according to the data.
These fields represent 57% of UK onshore fields and include some of the biggest onshore oil producing fields at Wytch Farm, Wressle and Welton. They also include Horse Hill, in Surrey, nicknamed the Gatwick Gusher when it was tested. It has since reported monthly falls in production.
Our analysis shows these fields had lower production in July 2023 (the most recent month for which figures are available) than their monthly average for the past five years.
The oil fields were:
- Beckingham (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire)
- Beckingham West (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire)
- Bletchingley (Star Energy, Surrey)
- Brockham (Angus Energy, Surrey) – see chart above
- Cold Hanworth (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Corringham (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Crosby Warren (Europa Oil & Gas, North Lincolnshire) – see chart above
- Egmanton (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Farleys Wood (Onshore Oilfield Services, Nottinghamshire)
- Fiskerton Airfield (Heyco, Lincolnshire)- see chart above
- Glentworth (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Horse Hill (UKOG, Surrey)
- Humbly Grove (EP UK Investments, Hampshire)
- Kimmeridge (Perenco, Dorset)
- Lidsey (Angus Energy, West Sussex) – see chart above
- South Leverton (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire)- see chart above
- Storrington (Star Energy, West Sussex)
- Wareham (Perenco, Dorset)- see chart above
- Welton (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- West Firsby (Europa, Lincolnshire)
- Whisby (BrtNRG, Lincolnshire)
- Wressle (Heyco, North Lincolnshire)
- Wytch Farm (Perenco, Dorset)
The largest falls were at Wytch Farm, Wressle and Welton.
Production at Wytch Farm, the UK’s largest onshore oil fieldhas fallen by 17% in the past five years. But it still accounts for about 80% of onshore oil production.
The UK’s newest onshore producer, Wressle, began production in July 2022 with a monthly volume of more than 3,800m3. In the past 12 months, it has seen production fall by more than 25% since a peak in January 2023 of 4,102m3.
The gas fields were:
- Albury (Star Energy, Surrey)
- Askern Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, South Yorkshire) – see chart above
- Bevercotes Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Bilsthorpe (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire)
- Cadeby (Infinis Energy, South Yorkshire) – see chart above
- Doe Green (Ineos, Warrington) – see chart above
- Florence Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Staffordshire) – see chart above
- Gedling Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Hatfield Moors (Scottish Power, South Yorkshire) – see chart above
- Hatfield Moors Gas Storage (Scottish Power UK, South Yorkshire) – see chart above
- Kings Mill Hospital Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Maltby (Infinis, South Yorkshire)
- Mansfield Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Markham Main (Infinis, South Yorkshire) -see chart above
- Newmarket Colliery Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, West Yorkshire) – see chart above
- Sherwood Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
- Warsop Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, Nottinghamshire) – see chart above
The largest drops were at Hatfield Moor, Maltby, Mansfield and Markham Main.
Charts
Rising production
13 oil fields and four gas fields recorded rising production in recent months.
They represented less than a quarter of UK onshore producers but included the largest onshore gas field, at Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire, and several onshore oil fields operated by Star Energy in Lincolnshire and the Weald in southern England.
The biggest rise was reported at Saltfleetby, which resumed production in September 2022. Since then its most recent monthly data, from July 2023, was a record high. The field accounts for 80% of UK onshore gas production.
In these fields, production in the most recent month was above the monthly average for the past five years.
The oilfields were:
- Bothamsall (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- East Glentworth (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Gainsborough (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Goodworth (Star Energy, Hampshire)
- Horndean (Star Energy, Hampshire)
- Keddington (Heyco, Lincolnshire)
- Long Clawson (Star Energy, Leicestershire)
- Palmers Wood (Star Energy, Surrey) – see chart above
- Rempstone (Star Energy, Nottinghamshire)
- Scampton North (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Singleton (Star Energy, West Sussex)
- Stainton (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Stockbridge (Star Energy, Hampshire)
The gasfields were:
- Prince of Wales Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, West Yorkshire)
- Saltfleetby (Angus Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Stillingfleet Coal Mine Vent (Velox Power, North Yorkshire)
- Wheldale Coal Mine Vent (Infinis Energy, West Yorkshire)
The top onshore gas producer, Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire, resumed extraction in September 2022.
Charts
The top five
The data shows the UK’s top five oil fields were:
- Wytch Farm (Perenco, Dorset) accounting for 80% of onshore oil production
- Wressle (Heyco, North Lincolnshire)
- Singleton (Star Energy, West Sussex)
- Welton (Star Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Stockbridge (Star Energy, Hampshire)
The top five gas fields were:
- Saltfleetby (Angus Energy, Lincolnshire)
- Coalmine vents operated by Infinis Energy at Bilsthorpe, Maltby and by Velox Power at Stillingfleet
- Albury (Star Energy, Surrey) – in March 2023, the county council refused planning permission for the site to convert Albury methane into grey hydrogen.
Updated 1/11/23 to correct the operator of Stillingfleet to Velox Power
DRILL OR DROP? 
Hmmm-and more recent energy provision-off shore wind turbines- have been “successfully” spinning away? Except, so many of them are going out of action due to mechanical problems it resulted in a sudden and dramatic decline in the value of the provider when they had to admit they didn’t know how long and how much money it would take to repair them.
Then of course the recent auction attracted? Tumbleweed.
As on shore fields decline then just like worn out turbines they need to be replaced whilst demand remains strong. Pretty simple.
P.S:
BP profits down after it takes hit from US………..WIND FARMS. So much for there being such opportunities for UK companies backing transition. Opportunities to take a hit.
So 20% of onshore fields have not produced in the past 5 years. So what ?
I wonder what we’ll see in the next 5 years. My guess is that we’ll see an acceleration of production as the public recognise they’ve been conned by the great renewable scam that has extracted huge taxpayer subsidies and has not returned cheaper bills, indeed cannot return cheaper bills ever, no matter how much we spend.