An oil well in the Lincolnshire Wolds is to be decommissioned in the coming weeks.

Work is due to begin on the site at Biscathorpe, near Louth, on Monday 27 April 2026.

A leaflet (above), sent by Biscathorpe operator Egdon Resources to the Biscathorpe community liaison group, says the work will include:

• Initial preparation
• Plugging the well with cement up to ground level
• Removal of the upper concrete rings of the well cellar and cementing and capping the wellbore below ground level
• Restoration of the surface with aggregate

The leaflet says a rig, about 30m high, will be used to decommission the wellbore. The rig is not expected to operate at night and will be on site for about a week.

A fortnight pause is likely after the wellbore had been cemented before the other work is carried out.

There is no information about wider site restoration at Biscathorpe. But DrillOrDrop understands a planning application is expected to seek permission to return the site to agricultural purposes.

We asked Lincolnshire County Council whether it has received notice of decommissioning from Egdon. We will update this article with the council’s response.

The Biscathorpe well decommissioning marks the end of a planning dispute lasting more than 10 years.

The site first received planning permission in March 2015 for a new access track, well site, drilling an exploration well and production tests.

In 2018, permission was extended by three years. Consent was also granted that year to replace the geosynthetic clay liner with high-density polyethylene and install cabins, water bowsers, a generator and other facilities.

Lincolnshire County Council refused permission for long-term oil production and a further borehole in 2021. Egdon appealed and a planning inspector overturned the refusal in 2023.

But a year later, the High Court ruled that the appeal must be redetermined. This followed the landmark Finch Ruling at the Supreme Court, which said decisionmakers must take into account the carbon emissions from burning extracted oil.

Egdon revealed in December 2025 it was withdrawing from the appeal  due to start this month (April 2026).

The company also said it intended to give up the Biscathorpe production and exploration licence (PEDL253). The second term of PEDL253, often known as the appraisal phase, ends on 30 June 2026.

Union Jack Oil, one of the partners in the Biscathorpe development, said at the time that continued investment could no longer be justified.