The operator of Wytch Farm, the UK’s largest onshore oil field, has confirmed it plans to decommission one of its wells by 2027 and may decommission all by 2037.

A spokesperson for Perenco told DrillOrDrop:

“It is intended to decommission the well at Arne by the end of 2027, and with all sites potentially decommissioned by 2037.”

Wytch Farm is the largest onshore oil field in Europe. It currently produces around 10,000 barrels of oil a day from more than 100 wells across 12 sites. In 2023, it added two wells, the only two drilled onshore in the UK.

The field accounts for about 1.8% of total UK oil production. At its peak in the late 1990s, it produced more than 100,000 barrels a day.

Local media in Dorset has reported plans for a phased decommissioning programme at Wytch Farm.

But Perenco’s spokesperson told us the company had not made any statements or announcements about its decommissioning plans.

Some details did emerge in a report of a meeting between the company and local councillors.

Cllr Andy Hadley, climate portfolio holder for Bournemouth and Poole Council, told Poole People last month that permissions for oil extraction at Wytch Farm were due to expire in 2037. But he said:

“There are a whole raft of different permissions, and the first well site to go will be the one at Arne, which they are already planning for.

“As a company, Perenco are looking at carbon capture and renewable energy for the future.”

Cllr Hadley also gave details of the cause of the leak from a Wytch Farm pipeline into Poole Harbour on 26 March 2023.

An estimated 200 barrels of oil and reservoir fluids (about 11,000 gallons) leaked into the water from a 20mm hole in the pipe caused by bacterial growth, he said.

Booms installed to contain the oil in the harbour were reportedly removed this month but monitoring will continue this year and next.

Extinction Rebellion local groups have organised a march on 23 March 2024 to mark the one-year anniversary of the spill.

Members said they want answers from Perenco about what action has been taken to prevent future incidents. They also called on the company to decommission Wytch Farm more quickly.

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