The UK Environment Agency has granted a variation of permit to Rathlin Energy (UK) Limited to drill additional oil and gas wells and undertake commercial production at the West Newton A well site in the East Riding of Yorkshire .
Rathlin Energy has operated its exploratory oil and gas drilling site at West Newton A in the East Riding of Yorkshire since 2013 under the conditions of an environmental permit. The company wanted to vary that permit to allow the creation of six additional wells and laterals, the relocation of oil storage facilities and the installation of gas engines that will produce electricity for export to the national electricity network, according to a press release from the Environment Agency.
The latest consultation on the draft license in June followed an initial consultation on the application which took place in December 2021. After reviewing all the information submitted in the application and considering all the public comments and the evidence, the Environment Agency has granted a variation to the environmental permit. Rathlin Energy has already secured planning approval for the proposed activity, the agency said.
“The Environment Agency is satisfied that appropriate measures are in place for the extraction of oil and gas without causing harm to the environment or human health and, after exploring the issues and concerns that have raised, finds no reason to reject the request.” , said Kathryn Richardson, the Environment Agency’s area director of environment. “Before finalizing our decision, we reviewed and considered all feedback received. The views of the local community on this site are very important and we thank everyone for their input through the consultation.”
“In assessing this permit variation, we have completed a detailed and rigorous assessment of Rathlin Energy’s application to ensure that the operating techniques and control measures at the proposed facility meet the statutory requirements of the Permit Regulations environmental laws, which are in place to protect people and the environment,” Richardson added.
The approval of the permit comes after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier confirmed that hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licenses will be granted in the UK. The UK government said it is supporting the North Sea oil and gas industry “as part of the drive to make the UK more energy independent”, according to an earlier government statement.
In a separate Rathlin Energy press release, the company said it is planning a proposed horizontal well at its West Newton B site, with well path selection and engineering well design completed. The company purchased a well casing and has contacted the drilling rig and other key service contractors to determine its availability.
Rathlin Energy is targeting the start of operations in the first half of 2024, subject to approval of the pending Environment Agency permit for West Newton B and platform availability.
Meanwhile, Rathlin Energy said the West Newton discovery, along with the other prospects the company has identified in PEDL 183, have the potential to provide up to one trillion cubic feet of domestically produced natural gas in the immediate area of Humber. Gas from the West Newton field could provide feedstock for blue hydrogen developments being planned in the Humber Estuary.
The planned recoverable gas resource at West Newton will have the potential to meet the daily gas demands of more than 380,000 UK households for many years, according to data from the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, according to the statement.
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