IGas Cleared To Drill for UK Shale
UK shale gas explorer IGas Energy was granted planning consent November 15 by Nottinghamshire County Council's planning committee to develop a wellsite and drill up to two exploratory wells in Misson Springs, North Nottinghamshire, in England's northeast Midlands region.
CEO Stephen Bowler said he was pleased by the approval, which followed a recommendation by the county’s planning officer: “It has been a long process and everyone has been extremely thorough.” This is the first time it has secured planning consent for UK shale gas drilling.
“We now have the consent to develop a hydrocarbon wellsite and drill up to two exploratory hydrocarbon wells (one vertically and one horizontally) to help us better understand the shale gas potential in North Nottinghamshire," he added.
Egdon Resources, which holds a 14.5% interest in the onshore PEDL140 licence where the proposed wells are located, also noted the announcement.
France's Total has a 40% interest in PEDL139 and 140 which it acquired in 2014, followed by IGas and affiliates on 32%, Egdon 14.5% and US firm ECorp 13.5%. Total has the right to exit the licences, or become operator, once an exploration programme that it has funded is completed by IGas.
IGas also has existing conventional oil and gas production nearby at Gainsborough (Photo credit: IGas Energy)
Fracking not included
A spokesman for the county confirmed that IGas’s planning application for shale gas drilling at site in Misson, Bassetlaw had been approved, said that 40 conditions are attached to the consent, and confirmed that it does not include the right to frack (or hydraulically fracture) the planned wells. Should IGas wish to proceed with fracking at the site, it would have to apply for a further consent, he added.
Ken Cronin, CEO of industry association UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG) welcomed the Nottinghamshire approval too, saying it followed similar shale gas well approvals in North Yorkshire (Barclays-owned Third Energy) and Lancashire (Cuadrilla Resources). “It shows positive momentum towards finding out what natural gas resources we have beneath our feet that can be developed for the good of the whole of the UK; 84% of our homes use gas for heating and, by 2035, four-fifths of that gas will come from outside the UK – that is why this is important."
Jake White, a lawyer for Friends of the Earth (FoE) which opposes shale gas developments, however tweeted: “Hugely disappointing decision at Misson; council must disclose legal advice so all can understand the strange advice councillors were given.” The local council were initially scheduled to decide on the Misson Springs site in 5 October 2016, but FoE mounted a legal challenge that delayed the decision for a month.
IGas seeking to drill a further shale wellsite
Dart Energy, an IGas affiliate, has an application due to be heard by the same Nottinghamshire county council planning committee on December 20 in respect of a further wellsite at Tinker Lane, also in Bassetlaw; similarly that application does not include a request to frack the site.
Mark Smedley