Summary of activity and expected operations at key sites, including applications, decisions, company plans and licence changes. 

The list is organised alphabetically by county or unitary authority and then by site. Click on the bold red site name to take you to more detailed information.

Please let us know if we’ve missed something important or if the information is wrong or out-of-date. Contact here.

Last updated 16/11/23

Cheshire

Bridge Trafford, A56, Warrington Road, Bridge Trafford, PEDL190, IGas
Status: No permissions

Doe Green, Farnworth Road, Penketh, Warrington WA5 2TU, Ineos Shale
Status: No consistent gas production since November 2018. Zero production in June-August 2023.

Ellesmere Port 1, Portside One, Portside North, Merseyton Road, Ellesmere Port, PEDL184, Star Energy (formerly IGas)
Status: Appeal against refusal – decision recovered by business secretary and confirmed refusal in June 2022. IGas said it had no plans for the licence but under its new name, Star Energy , the company is still the operator.

Ince Marshes, Plot 11 Ince Resource Recovery Park, Lordship Lane, Frodsham, PEDL190, IGas
Status: Pre-planning for proposal to drill and frack for shale gas. Application expected after result of Ellesmere Port inquiry but site owner suggests fracking plans have been shelved. PEDL190 relinquished.

Derbyshire

Bramleymoor Lane, Marsh Lane, Eckington, PEDL300, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Approved for exploratory shale gas drilling after appeal but permission lapsed after three years and no action.

Dorset

Athelhampton Road, Puddletown, PEDL327, South Western Energy
Status: Application withdrawn March 2022 for construction of site compound and drilling a single vertical well for the appraisal and production of oil. Latest

Kimmeridge, Perenco
Status: Oil producing site on Jurassic Coast cliffs. Granted permission fora gas compression unit to reduce venting of methane and volatile organic compounds from the site. Operator withdrew a later application for a flare.

Waddock Cross, Affpuddle, PL90, Egdon Resources
Status: Mothballed oil production site. Egdon Resources has applied for planning permission to keep the site open until 2033. Dorset Council has also said there is no need for an Environmental Impact Assessment for new proposals for two additional wells and a sidetrack and production for 15 more years.

Wytch Farm, Perenco
Status: Western Europe’s and the UK’s largest onshore oilfield. It contributes about 80% of UK onshore oil production but volumes have been falling since a peak in the late 1990s.

East Riding of Yorkshire

West Newton-A, off Fosham Road, West Newton, PEDL183, Rathlin Energy, photos
Status: Planning and environmental consent for four more wells, enlarged well site and long-term production. Details here and here

West Newton-B, Crook Lane, West Newton, PEDL183, Rathlin Energy, photos
Status: Drilling completed of first of two permitted wells. Formation damage reported following flow test. Permission granted for another three years at the site. Drilling second well delayed for third time until 2024. Latest

West Newton-C, land south east of Smithy Briggs Farm, off Crook Lane, near Burton Constable,  PEDL183, Rathlin Energy
Status: Pre-planning application. Proposals currently shelved.

West Newton-D, Low Fosham Farm, Low Fosham Road, Aldbrough PEDL183, Rathlin Energy
Status: Pre-planning application. Proposals currently shelved.

Falkirk

Airth, PEDL133, Ineos
Status: long-running planning dispute – planning inquiry was due to be reopened by Scottish government but Ineos withdrew its appeal. No production since

Hampshire

Avington oil field, PEDL070, Star Energy
Status: Oil production due to resume after a break of five years. Star Energy (formerly IGas) successfully appealed in 2021 against a refusal of planning permission for five ore years at the site. Latest

Horndean oil field, PL211, Star Energy
Status: Producing oil field – next to the former PEDL216 which contained Markwells Wood, with interest from UKOG for horizontal drilling.

Stockbridge oil field, PL233, Star Energy
Status: Producing oil field.

Isle of Wight

Arreton, PEDL331, UK Oil and Gas Investments PLC
Status: Planning permission refused by Isle of Wight Council. UKOG decides against appeal. Latest

Godshill, PEDL331, UK Oil and Gas Investments PLC
Status: Site and proposals announced at public meeting in December 2019. No application submitted.

Lancashire

Altcar Moss, near Formby PEDL164, Aurora Energy Resources
Status: Application to drill and frack for shale gas withdrawn. Experts said seismic data and conclusions were outdated and ecological information incomplete

Elswick, near Blackpool, EXL269, Cuadrilla Elswick
Status: Production site with permission to retain for five more years but no production since April 2004. Regulator ordered Cuadrilla to plug and abandon the well but then gave the company another year to produce plans for the site. Latest

Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, PEDL165, Cuadrilla site photos
Status: Two shale gas wells drilled and partially fracked, both causing earth tremors. Regulator ordered Cuadrilla ordered to plug and abandon the wells by June 2022 but later gave the company another year to produce plans for the site. Planning permission expires April 2023 and Cuadrilla has applied for more time. Latest

Roseacre Wood, Roseacre Road, Roseacre, PEDL165, Cuadrilla
Status: Appeal for shale gas exploration and fracking refused. Permit surrendered.

Leicestershire

Long Clawson oilfield, Melton Road, Long Clawson, Melton Mowbray, LE14 4NT, PL220, Star Energy
Status: Producing oilfield

Lincolnshire

Biscathorpe, land off High Street, Biscathorpe, near Louth LN11 9RA PEDL253, Egdon Resources
Status: Planning application PL/0037/21 for a sidetrack and production refused 1 November 2021 but later approved by a planning inspector on appeal. SOS Biscathorpe is now seeking to challenge the decision. Latest

North Kelsey-1, land off Smithfield Road, North Kelsey, Brigg, Lincolnshire LN7 6HG PEDL 241, Egdon Resources
Status: Permission refused for the third extension of planning permission for 12 months and a change to the route of the exploration well. Egdon Resources has appealed. Details of how the appeal will be decided awaited. Latest

Saltfleetby, North End Lane, South Cockerington, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, PEDL005, Angus Energy
Status: All planning applications approved by Lincolnshire County Council under delegated powers for new pipeline, processing facilities and revised site layout. New sidetrack drilled.

Wressle-1, Lodge Farm, Clapp Gate, Appleby, DN15 0DB, PEDL180, Egdon Resources
Status: Permission for long-term oil production granted after second public inquiry. Groundwater monitoring boreholes drilled. Pre-work conditions signed-off. Workover rig delivered 4 January 2021. Proppant squeeze described as a success. Formal production approved in May 2022 but no production data published by NSTA.

North Yorkshire

Ebberston Moor wellsites, PL077, Third Energy
Status: Various planning permissions

KM8, Habton Road, Kirby Misperton, Ryedale, PL080, Third Energy photos
Status: Hydraulic fracturing consent refused. New owners of Third Energy say they have no plans to frack and geothermal trials underway.

Nottinghamshire

Springs Road, Misson, Bassetlaw, PEDL139, IGas, photos
Status: Vertical shale gas well drilled, one of two permitted. Planning application for a further three years refused and IGas ordered to restore site. Not work yet carried out. Latest

Tinker Lane, Torworth, Bassetlaw, PEDL200, IGas, photos
Status: Shale gas well drilled but missed Bowland Shale; well abandoned and site restored. Latest

Rotherham

Common Road, Harthill, PEDL304, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Planning permission for shale gas exploration lapsed in June 2021 after no activity except reports of fencing and amendment to traffic management plan. Latest

Woodsetts, PEDL304, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Appeal against refusal – decision recovered by business secretary. Permission refused.

Salford

Barton Moss (also known as Irlam 1), PEDL193, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Well and sidetrack drilled, currently suspended.

Surrey

Albury Park, New Road, Albury, DL004, IGas
Status: Permission for compressed natural gas and electricity generation. IGas applied for permission for hydrogen production. Decision expected autumn 2022.

Bletchingley, King’s Farm, Tilburstow Hill Road, South Godstone, ML021, IGas
Status: Permission to extend, upgrade and produce for 15 years. IGas applied for permission for hydrogen production. Decision expected autumn 2022.

Brockham, Feltons Farm, Old School Lane, Brockham, Surrey, RH3 7AU, PL235, Angus Energy
Status: Well test of Kimmeridge sidetrack unsuccessful. Planning permission and environmental permit for reinjection of Brockham produced water oil production from BRX2 well. Angus Energy is seeking an extension to environmental permit to import produced water from other sites. Latest

Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwood), Coldharbour Lane, near Dorking, PEDL143, UK Oil & Gas plc
Status: Site abandoned after refusal of lease renewal by environment secretary. Licence renamed A24, transferred from Europa to UKOG and later relinquished.

Dunsfold/Loxley, land south of Dunsfold Road and east of High Loxley Road, Surrey, PEDL234, UK Oil & Gas
Status: Twice refused by Surrey County Council because of adverse impact on landscape and local amenity. Appeal decided by levellling up secretary and overturned council’s decisions. Protect Dunsfold and Waverley Borough Council sought a judicial review. Permission for a review was turned down after a paper application but after a later hearing it was granted on two grounds (2/3/23)

Horse Hill, near Horley, PEDL 137, Horse Hill Developments Ltd
Status: Permission for total of six additional production wells and 20 years of production. Judicial review of permission for production failed and split decision at Court of Appeal in November 2021 but permission granted for hearing at Supreme Court. Due to be heard in spring 2023. Two original wells drilled. Horse Hill 1 (HH-1) in production since March 2020. HH2z to be converted into a reinjection well – permissions granted. Amended planning application for site storage approved. Test boreholes installed for reinjection plans.

Trafford

Davyhulme, PEDL193, IGas
Status: Permission granted for 25 years in 2015 but no activity.

West Sussex

Balcombe, Little Stumble, PEDL244, Angus Energy
Status: Short oil flow test carried out in autumn 2018. Application for flow test unanimously refused. Appeal to be decided by documents (not public inquiry). Decision granted. Details

Broadford Bridge, Adversane Lane, near Billingshurst RH14 9EB, PEDL234, UK Oil & Gas plc
Status: Application approved May 2022 for a further two years. This is the fourth extension of consent at the site, which is currently suspended. Latest

Lidsey, near Bognor Regis, PL214, Angus Energy
Status: No production since March 2020.

Markwells Wood, near Rowlands Castle, PEDL126, UK Oil & Gas Investments PLC (UKOG)
Status: Abandoned and restored.

Singleton , off A286, Cobblers Row to Middlefield, Singleton PO18 0HL PL240, IGas
Status: Producing oil site. IGas granted formal consent from EA to continue reinjection of radioactive waste.

Storrington, Pulborough Road, Storrington, RH20 4HP, PL205, IGas
Status: Producing oil site.

Can you help?

DrillOrDrop is looking for more information about these onshore oil and gas sites. If you can help, please get in touch by clicking here

• Vale of Glamorgan: Cowbridge
• Swansea: Bryntywod, Llangyfelach
• Warrington: Land south east of M6 jct 21, next to the Thelwall viaduct
• Other active or planned sites in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales