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Please let us know if we’ve missed something important or if the information is wrong or out-of-date.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 31/3/2021
Cheshire
Bridge Trafford, A56, Warrington Road, Bridge Trafford, PEDL190, IGas
Status: No permissions
Doe Green, Farnworth Road, Penketh, Warrington WA5 2TU, Ineos Shale
Status: Gas production
Ellesmere Port 1, Portside One, Portside North, Merseyton Road, Ellesmere Port, PEDL184, IGas
Status: Appeal against refusal – decision recovered by business secretary and expected April 2020 but not issued and no scheduled date for announcement.
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.
Derbyshire
Bramleymoor Lane, Marsh Lane, Eckington, PEDL300, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Approved for exploratory shale gas drilling but no action.
Dorset
Athelhampton Road, Puddletown, PEDL327, South Western Energy
Status: Application for construction of site compound and drilling a single vertical well for the appraisal and production of oil. Decision date extended to January 2021 but extended again because of Covid-19 outbreak and more detays expected.
East Riding of Yorkshire
West Newton-A, off Fosham Road, West Newton, PEDL183, Rathlin Energy, photos
Status: Testing on second oil/gas exploratory well suspended after oil discovery. Rathlin has announced plans to apply for six more wells and long-term production.
West Newton-B, Crook Lane, West Newton, PEDL183, Rathlin Energy, photos
Status: Drilling completed of first of two permitted wells. First phase of evaluation expected in April 2021.
West Newton-C, land south east of Smithy Briggs Farm, off Crook Lane, near Burton Constable, PEDL183, Rathlin Energy
Status: Pre-planning application
West Newton-D, Low Fosham Farm, Low Fosham Road, Aldbrough PEDL183, Rathlin Energy
Status: Pre-planning application.
Falkirk
Airth, PEDL133, Ineos
Status: long-running planning dispute – planning inquiry due to be reopened by Scottish government but Ineos withdrew its appeal.
Hampshire
Horndean oil field, PL211, IGas
Status: Producing oil field – next to the former PEDL216 which contained Markwells Wood, with interest from UKOG for horizontal drilling
Isle of Wight
Arreton, PEDL331, UK Oil and Gas Investments PLC
Status: Site and proposals announced at public meeting in December 2019. Application submitted and public consultation completed. No date for decision.
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 say 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.
Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, PEDL165, Cuadrilla site photos
Status: Two shale gas wells drilled and partially fracked, both causing earth tremors. Now suspended. PNR1z plugged. Pressure test underway on PNR2 – due to be completed by 5 August 2020. No details about whether this has been extended. Most equipment removed and permits surrendered for drilling, fracking and flaring
Roseacre Wood, Roseacre Road, Roseacre, PEDL165, Cuadrilla
Status: Appeal for shale gas exploration and fracking refused. Permit surrendered.
Lincolnshire
Biscathorpe, land off High Street, Biscathorpe, near Louth LN11 9RA PEDL253, Egdon Resources
Status: Suspended after unsuccessful drilling. Application for a sidetrack submitted in 2021 and open for consultation until 23 April 2021.
North Kelsey-1, land off Smithfield Road, North Kelsey, Brigg, Lincolnshire LN7 6HG PEDL 241, Egdon Resources
Status: Permission to drill for oil but no activity. Application approved for second time extension. Drilling expected in 2021.
Saltfleetby, North End Lane, South Cockerington, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, PEDL005, Angus Energy
Status: Two planning applications approved by Lincolnshire County Council under delegated powers of new pipeline and processing facilities for resumption of gas production.
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. No news yet on proppant squeeze.
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.
Nottinghamshire
Springs Road, Misson, Bassetlaw, PEDL139, IGas, photos
Status: Vertical shale gas well drilled, one of two permitted. No news on whether IGas intends to drill second well. Company has applied for extension of planning permission but no plans for further drilling or fracking while moratorium is in force. No details on decision date.
Tinker Lane, Torworth, Bassetlaw, PEDL200, IGas, photos
Status: Shale gas well drilled but missed Bowland Shale; well abandoned and site restored
Rotherham
Common Road, Harthill, PEDL304, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Permission for shale gas exploration but no activity except reports of fencing and amendment to traffic management plan
Woodsetts, PEDL304, Ineos Upstream (Ineos Shale)
Status: Appeal against refusal – decision recovered by business secretary. Decision expected April 2020 but not issued and no scheduled date for announcement.
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.
Bletchingley, King’s Farm, Tilburstow Hill Road, South Godstone, ML021, IGas
Status: Permission to extend, upgrade and produce for 15 years.
Brockham, Feltons Farm, Old School Lane, Brockham, Surrey, RH3 7AU, PL235, Angus Energy
Status: Well test of Kimmeridge sidetrack unsuccessful. Consultation of permit variation to allow reinjection of formation water. Production from the Portland promised if reinjection is permitted.
Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwood), Coldharbour Lane, near Dorking, PEDL143, UK Oil & Gas plc
Status: Permissions but 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: Planning application for oil and gas exploration and appraisal refused. UKOG has appealed and inquiry due to begin in July 2021.
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 but is to go to the Court of Appeal. Two original wells drilled. Horse Hill 1 (HH-1) in production since March but currently shut-in following work to increase flows. HH-2z extended well test continues and water ingress problem resolved. Planning application submitted to increase site storage – to be decided by delegated powers but no decision details.
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; planning application submitted for three-year flow test and production but withdrawn after objection from Environment Agency and county council. New application submitted and unanimously refused. No details yet of whether Angus will appeal.
Broadford Bridge, Adversane Lane, near Billingshurst RH14 9EB, PEDL234, UK Oil & Gas plc
Status: Extension of permission for two years granted in July 2020. Site currently suspended.
Lidsey, near Bognor Regis, PL214, Angus Energy
Status: Oil production but official figures show no production from April 2020 to July 2020 (latest data available).
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 seeking formal consent from EA to reinject radioactive waste. No details on when a consultation or decision is expected.
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
- Dorset: Wytch Farm and Kimmeridge
- Neath-Port Talbot: Foel Fynyddau
- North Yorkshire: Pickering
- 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
