Photo: John O’Houston
Last updated: 21/11/2023
Key facts
Address: Feltons Farm, Old School Lane, Brockham, Surrey RH3 7AU
Planning:
SCC reference 2007/0443, application number M007/0161, permission approved under delegated powers 18 June 2007
SCC reference 2017/0089, retrospective planning application for installation of on-site facilities
SCC reference 2017/0215, application number MO/2018/0444, part retrospective application for retention of BRX4 well, regularisation of BRX4Z sidetrack and appraisal of BRX4Z for three years.
Operator: Angus Energy (80%)
Partners: Brockham Capital Ltd (10%), Terrain Energy Ltd (10%)
Licence: PL235
Wells: Brockham-1 (BR-x1) drilled by BP in 1987; BR-2Y capable of producing 35 barrels per day (according to the industry), Brockham X3 (2007); Brockham X2z (1998), Brockham X4Z (2017) (Source: OGA and Terrain Energy)
Status: Various permissions; well test and production
Timeline
5 December 2022
Consent for importing radioactive waste for disposal at Brockham. Details
31 October 2022
Oil production ceases at Brockham, NSTA data shows.
7 October 2022
Angus Energy seeks to import radioactive waste for disposal at Brockham. Details
23 May 2022
Brockham oil production resumes and water reinjection begins. Details
27 April 2022
Brockham oil production plans from BRX2 well approved by Surrey County Council. Details
20 April 2022
“Demonstratable need” for more greenbelt oil production at Brockham – Surrey council planners. Details
10 March 2022
Go ahead for waste reinjection at Brockham. Details
20 December 2021
No need for oil from Brockham wellsite, says campaign group. Details
24 November 2021
Public views sought on Brockham oil production plans. Details
22 October 2021
Angus Energy publishes oil production plans for Brockham wellsite. Details
2 August 2021
Angus Energy update on reinjection at Brockham. Details
15 June 2021
Alba gives up its 5% stake in the Brockham oil licence. Details
1 April 2021
No planning consent for importing waste water to Angus Energy’s Brockham oil site, council confirms. Details
23 March 2021
Views sought on water injection plans. Details
29 October 2020
Six month extension to Brockham licence to March 2021. Details
21 October 2020
Doriemus to pull out of Brockham oil licence. Details
6 October 2020
Angus Energy says it will abandon the Brockham oil field if it does not get permission to reinject waste water. The Environment Agency confirms the company has applied for a permit to reinject. Details
30 July 2020
Angus says it plans to inject produced water into the Brockham-3 well (Br3) to maintain pressure support in the reservoir and increase oil production. It is also looking at potential to perforate the Brx4z sidetrack in the Portland to increase recovery. Details
1 May 2020
Angus Energy to seek permission for water reinjection. Details
22 January 2020
Angus seeks 5-year extension to oil production licence at Brockham. Details
11 July 2019
Kimmeridge formation unlikely to generate significant volumes of oil because it isn’t mature, Angus conference call tells investors. Details
28 June 2019
Angus looks to sell Brockham after sidetrack found “uncommercial” without fracking. Details
3 April 2019
Angus Energy gives details of the work programme to isolate the water at Brockham. Details
21 March 2019
Angus Energy announces it has signed a rig contract with P W Well Services for Brockham. Details
4 February 2019
Angus Energy reports it found water in the Brockham sidetrack and well test did not achieve sustainable flows. More work is planned. Details
4 January 2019
Well test programme resumes after Christmas break. Angus says well was perforated and logged before Christmas. Details
19 December 2018
Angus begins Brockham well test programme. Local people question permit consent. Details
27 November 2018
Updated environmental permit published with requirement of more information on the management of any gas before production and appraisal can begin. Details
11 October 2018
Villagers seek funds for monitoring at Brockham oil site. Details
13 September 2018
Angus Energy granted High Court injunction against protests at oil site. Details
8 August 2018
Angus Energy planning application on disputed Brockham oil well approved. Details
8 May 2018
Ofcom ruling does not uphold Angus Energy complaint about BBC report on disputed sidetrack well. Details
3 May 2018
Mole Valley District Council’s planning committee objects to Angus application for retrospective approval of Brockham sidetrack. Details
29 March 2018
Angus Energy says production has resumed at Brockham from the Portland reservoir at 21 barrels of oil per day. Details
14 March 2018
A Surrey County Council report on the planning dispute at the Brockham oil site says regulations covering oil and gas developments are confusing and misleading and there are discrepancies between different agencies. Details
7 March 2018
Angus Energy accounts published with predictions of production to resume from the Portland rocks at Brockham site and the start of the first commercial production from the Kimmeridge. Details
19 February 2018
Planning application for “regularisation” of BRx4Z sidetrack validated. Details
15 February 2018
Angus tells investors it expects to test the Balcombe well in West Sussex before Brockham. Details
21 January 2018
Angus denies planning application for Brockham is invalid. Details
20 January 2018
Correspondence seen by DrillOrDrop shows that Angus Energy’s application for the Brockham site is invalid.
20 December 2017
Surrey County Council confirms Angus has submitted a planning application for the Brockham site. Details
8 November 2017
DrillOrDrop report of correspondence between the Oil & Gas Authority and Angus Energy in which the OGA criticises operations at Brockham
25 October 2017
Angus Energy announces it has received a letter from Surrey County Council suggesting it submit a planning application for operations at Brockham. Details
23 October 2017
Angus Energy announces it has approval from the Oil & Gas Authority for oil production from its new sidetrack well at Brockham. Details
Surrey County Council stands by its position that the company does not have planning permission. Details
19 October 2017
Surrey County Council confirms to Angus Energy that the company does not have planning permission for the sidetrack well drilled in January or production from it.
22 September 2017
Angus Energy tells investors it is seeking the go-ahead for onsite power generation at the Brockham oil site. Details
13 September 2017
Surrey County Council approves retrospective application on fencing, equipment and buildings but Angus Energy accused of betraying trust and misleading councillors. Details
7 September 2017
Extended closing date for comments on variation of environmental permit. Details
24 August 2017
Closing date for comments on variation of environmental permit. Details
2 August 2017
Mole Valley District Council votes “no objection” to retrospective planning permission for equipment on Brockham site.
Email from the Oil & Gas Authority to Angus Energy criticises the company over its drilling operations at Brockham and requires actions from the company. Details
31 July 2017
Closing date of public consultation for application for retrospective planning permission for on-site facilities, lighting, fencing equipment and parking at Brockham Well site, Felton’s Farm, Old School Lane, Brockham. Link to planning application and DrillOrDrop report
27 July 2017
Angus applies to Environment Agency for a permit variation. Link to application and consultation
26 May 2017
Angus applies for retrospective planning permission for equipment on Brockham site but not for drilling the disputed sitetrack. Details
11 May 2017
Angus announces it has submitted an addendum to its field development plan to the Oil & Gas Authority for oil production from the new sidetrack at Brockham. Details
29 March 2017
Speaking at the Angus Energy AGM, chairman Jonathan Tidswell-Pretorius says the company has not been notified formally by Surrey County Council that it breached planning permission. Details
28 March 2017
Environment Agency confirms that Angus Energy breached a condition of its environmental permit. Details
20 March 2017
Angus Energy defends its operations at Brockham, saying it had all the consents it needed. Details
16 March 2017
Documents confirm that planners told Angus Energy that it did not have permission to drill a new side-track well at Brockham. Details
9 March 2017
Surrey County Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” that Brockham well was “drilled without permission”. Details
3 March 2017
Angus Energy tells investors it expects to be ready to produce oil fro a new side-track well at Brockham by this spring or summer. Details
3 February 2017
Brockham Protection Camp disbanded. Details
2 February 2017
David Lenigas, chair of Doriemus PLC (which has a 10% stake), says Brockham is the key to unlocking potential oil production in the Weald basin. The results of work on the well should be known in three weeks, he says. Details
30 January 2017
Equipment moved off Brockham well site
27 January 2017
Workover rig taken down. Details
26 January 2017
Angus Energy confirms it has finished work to complete, log, case and cement the well at Brockham. Chairman, Jonathan Tidswell-Pretorius, says the work encountered hydrocarbons missed in previous drilling by BP in 1987. Details
Email from Surrey County Council explains why 24-hour working had been necessary:
“one of the wells was found to be ‘live’ resulting from hydrocarbons bypassing an isolation plug. As such, they needed to work quickly to ‘kill’ that section of the well by sealing it and cementing it ASAP: abandoning the well safely. This was why the 24-Hr working was deemed expedient by officers.” Details
20 January 2017
BRX4-Z spudded. This is a sidetrack of BRX4 and was drilled as a future production well into Oxford Clay at 1,197m.
18 January 2017
Angus Energy statement that the company had completed upgrade work on production bunds and well intervention is continuing. Details
9 January 2017
Five people arrested at Brockham oil site. Details
Still from video by Jon O’Houston
16 December 2016
Angus Energy statement that it had increased its stake in the site and exploration licence to 65% by acquiring 10% interest from Terrain Energy for £100,000. Details
15 December 2016
Angus Energy statement that the company has approval from the OGA and HSE to carry out work on the BR-X4Z well
8 December 2016
Brockham Protection Camp established at Old School Lane, Brockham, Surrey, RH3 7AU, where Angus Energy says it plans to drill a side-track well.
14 November 2016
Angus Energy says in a statement is has received permission from the Environment Agency to drill the BR-X4Z sidetrack at Brockham Details
7 November 2016
Dowgate Capital, quoted by Directors Talk, says the Brockham side-track well was expected to be spudded within the next few weeks. Details But Surrey County Council says Angus Energy does not have planning permission for vertical or horizontal drilling at the site.
27 June 2016
David Lenigas appointed executive chairman of Doriemus PLC, which has a 10% interest in Brockham and the production licence PL235
24 July 2007
BRX4 spudded by Key Petroleum Weald Basin Ltd (Source: DECC landwells data). This was drilled as a production well into Portland sandstone at a depth of 689m. It was later plugged.
14 July 2007
BRX3 spudded by Midmar (Source: DECC landwells data). This was a sidetrack of BRX1, drilled into Portland beds and used as a water injection well.
18 June 2007
Surrey County Council approved under delegated powers application 2007/0443 by Midmar Energy Onshore Ltd for installation and operation of a drilling rig on existing wellsite for workover programme and drilling a new well.
16 November 2003
BRX2-Y drilled by Midmar Energy. This was another sidetrack of BRX2, drilled as a production well into Portland sandstone.
12 May 1998
BRX2-Z spudded by Soco (Source: DECC landwells data). This was a sidetrack of BRX2 and was drilled into Lower Purbeck Anhydrite. It was later plugged.
26 April 1998
BRX2 spudded by Soco (Source: DECC landwells data). This well was drilled into Kimmeridge clay to 761m and later plugged.
15 August 1987
BRX1 discovery well spudded by BP – reported finds of oil in the Portland sandstone (Source: DECC landwells data). This well was drilled to 2,123.8m and later plugged
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