Keep up to date with December 2024’s news with our digest of daily updated headlines about the business, regulation and campaigns around UK fracking, shale, and onshore oil and gas.

Tuesday 31 December 2024

Who drilled where in 2024? DrillOrDrop analysis reveals that all the new onshore oil and gas wells in the UK in 2024 were drilled on a single small island in Poole Harbour.

Monday 30 December 2024

What to watch in 2025. DrillOrDrop report on what we’ll be reporting on in the next 12 months: more repercussions from the Supreme Court judgement on climate emissions, plus site restorations, drilling and testing plans, legal challenges and government initiatives

Friday 27 December 2024

DrillOrDrop review of 2024: landmark judgement sparks tumult for onshore oil and gas. We report on the repercussions of the Finch judgement from the Supreme Court, as well as planning permission breaches on decommissioning and restoration, small-scale fracking plans, new legal challenges, industry news, official climate advice, and political developments.

Thursday 19 December 2024

“Rig shortage” delays abandonment of Cuadrilla’s fracked wells. DrillOrDrop reports that work to decommission mothballed shale gas wells at the Preston New Road fracking site in Lancashire is now expected to take until the end of March 2025, Cuadrilla has revealed.

Metropolitan Police use 95% of protest restrictions. Netpol reports that a Home Office data release on the use of protest restrictions (Section 12 and 14 powers) shows that 95% were from the Metropolitan Police. The force accounted for 448 of 473 instances of the powers being used, even though its statistics covered nine fewer months than other constabularies.

Wednesday 18 December 2024

Horse Hill oil site to be cleared of equipment and machinery, council confirms. DrillOrDrop reports equipment is to be removed from the unlawful oil site at Horse Hill, stripped of its planning permission by the Supreme Court, Surrey County Council (SCC) said today. But the council has not demanded that the site be restored to woodland and agriculture.

Europa ends Whisby net profits agreements. Europa Oil & Gas plc announces it has ended the agreement on royalties from Whisby 4 well with BritNRG, the Whisby field operator and licence holder. Europa says the agreement has not generated income and further investment is needed to generate cash. Capital would be better spent on other projects, the company said.

Friday 13 December 2024

Fracking skills could “unlock” geothermal potential – IEA. DrillOrDrop article on the International Energy Agency report which found that shale drilling and fracturing techniques could drive the development of geothermal power, the world’s leading energy organisation said today.

Thursday 12 December 2024

Reabold Resources ups stake in Rathlin Energy. DrillOrDrop reports that Reabold Resources has acquired a further 20.4% of shares in Rathlin Energy, the operator of two exploration sites in East Yorkshire.

Tuesday 10 December 2024

Call for more action on cuts to methane emissions. DrillOrDrop reports on the findings of a parliamentary committee which says more transparency is needed on progress to ending routine venting and flaring of methane at UK oil and gas sites.

Shell settles lawsuit against Greenpeace. Greenpeace reports a settlement in the law suit brought by Shell against the organisation. Shell demand $1m in damages and $10m in legal feels after six Greenpeace activists boarded a Shell-contracted ship in the Atlantic carrying key equipment to drill for oil in the North Sea. In the settlement, Greenpeace will donate £300,000 to the RNLI. It also agreed not to protest in the North Sea at three of Shell’s oil and gas fields for the next five year and at fourth field for the next ten years.

Monday 9 December 2024

Cuadrilla breaches planning consent over failure to abandon fracking wells. DrillOrDrop reports that the UK’s most controversial shale gas site has failed to meet the deadline to plug two fracked wells – putting it in breach of planning consent.

Friday 6 December 2024

Residents secure extended consultation and info event on West Newton oil and gas plans. DrillOrDrop reports that the Environment Agency has extended a public consultation on changes to the operation of an East Yorkshire oil and gas site after pressure from residents.

Thursday 5 December 2024

Northern Ireland to ban all onshore oil and gas operations. DrillOrDrop reports that the Northern Ireland Executive has agreed to ban exploration and production of all forms of onshore oil and gas.

Tuesday 3 December 2024

Wressle seeks environmental permit consents for gas refining and small-scale fracks. DrillOrDrop reports that the UK’s second largest onshore oil producers is seeking permission to refine gas and carry out small-scale fracking.

UK onshore oil and gas production in figures and charts – September 2024. DrillOrDrop reports that monthly UK onshore production fell in September 2024 on all measures, to the lowest level in the previous year, according to official data.

Monday 2 December 2024

Call for action on delay to restoration of mothballed oil site. DrillOrDrop reports that campaigners are urging a council to insist on the speedy restoration of a suspended oil site in West Sussex where decommissioning deadlines have been missed.

For headlines from previous months, click here. Please let us know if we’ve missed something important  contact@DrillOrDrop.com

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