Oil production has been suspended at Horse Hill in Surrey, the site at the centre of a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court.

UK Oil & Gas plc (UKOG) said in a statement today that it had instructed its subsidiary, Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL) to “voluntarily suspend” oil production from last Friday (25 October 2024).

Earlier today, a legal complaint by Friends of the Earth called for an immediate stop to what it called “brazenly unlawful” oil production at the site near Horley.

Four months ago, the Supreme Court quashed the planning permission at Horse Hill. A majority judgement ruled that Surrey County Council had acted unlawfully in granting planning permission in 2019 for oil production.

But DrillOrDrop revealed that the site had continued to extract oil after the Supreme Court judgement.

Sarah Finch, who brought the Supreme Court challenge on behalf of the Weald Action Group, said this evening:

“We are very glad to hear that production has stopped at Horse Hill – but appalled that it took protests by Extinction Rebellion, news coverage by Drill or Drop, Channel 4 and BBC Surrey, and the threat of legal action by Friends of the Earth to bring them to this conclusion. 

“The sorry episode underscores the disturbing lack of accountability that UKOG has shown at other sites, including Markwells Wood where replanting efforts have mostly failed, and Broadford Bridge where work to plug the well and restore the site appears not to have started within the timescale given.”

Niall Toru, lawyer at Friends of the Earth, said:

“We are thrilled the developer of the Horse Hill project finally suspended oil drilling at the site. This is much owed to the tireless efforts of local activists who have kept up pressure against the development after many years of campaigning. The fact it went unchecked for four months raises serious questions for Surrey County Council.

“Having issued our legal complaint to the council last week, Friends of the Earth is proud to have again stood alongside communities facing off the threat of damaging fossil fuel developments where they live. We hope this signals the end of the Horse Hill development once and for all.”

UKOG said in its statement today:

“Given the uniqueness of the situation following the Supreme Court’s decision to render SCC’s grant of planning permission unlawful, and far from ignoring the ruling’s implications, HHDL first contacted SCC on 20th June 2024 regarding the site’s status and to find the most pragmatic way forward to achieve the required planning redetermination.

“The ongoing dialogue with SCC has included multiple interactions and a site visit by SCC as recently as Wednesday 16th October. Other regulators have also been kept up to date.”

The company added:

“It should be noted that the Supreme Court’s decision was not the result of any action, error or omission by the Company or its subsidiary, HHDL, and that HHDL has acted as a responsible operator in full regulatory compliance during the 6 years of production planning consent.”

UKOG said:

“A detailed plan for a safe full suspension of related operations and activities, including the necessary safe emptying and cleaning of storage tanks, flow lines and other process equipment, will be implemented following SCC’s concurrence. In the interim period HHDL will work with SCC to provide all necessary additional information to facilitate a successful planning redetermination.”

Today’s announcement changes the position held by UKOG last week. On oil production at Horse Hill, a UKOG spokesperson told Channel 4 News on 24 October 2024:

“It’s not unlawful. We would not be doing it if it was unlawful.”

The spokesperson also said:

“We are of the understanding, certainly from Surrey, that we are doing what we should be doing and we are complying with everything they tell us to do.”

Surrey County Council confirmed last week that there was no planning permission for oil production at the site. It said:

“The Council’s position is that such oil production is therefore unlawful. Any development carried out in the absence of planning permission is vulnerable to formal enforcement action.

“The County Council is continuing its enforcement investigation and will determine whether formal enforcement action is expedient. While the investigation is continuing it is not possible to comment further.”  

UKOG has not made a public announcement to shareholders about the production suspension.

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