Plans for gas drilling submitted

A new press release with details of changes to the original plans in part from feedback received at the March exhibition.
Download as PDF

31^st May 2012  

EGDON SEEKS PLANNING PERMISSION FOR NATIONAL PARK BOREHOLE

Egdon Resources plc (“Egdon”), the AIM-listed oil and gas exploration and production company, has formally submitted an application for a 3-year temporary planning consent to drill an exploratory borehole near the village of Westerdale in the North York Moors National Park.

The company wants to drill a well on land south of Broad Gate Farm and build two short access tracks to the wellsite.

The application to the National Park Authority follows a public exhibition in Westerdale Village Hall on March 16, attended by Egdon Managing Director Mark Abbott and other members of his team.

Mr Abbott commented: “As a result of our consultation, we have made a number of amendments to our original proposals, notably in connection with the bridleway adjacent to the proposed wellsite.  It was clear from the feedback we received that our proposal to close this path for six months was not popular.

“However, following discussions with National Park staff, we now propose to keep it open and will erect signs, warning users of the presence of construction vehicles.”

Mr Abbott added that a feature of the exhibition had been the very positive attitude by the public to the proposals as a whole. 

“I think this was because there is a general acceptance of the need to exploit our recoverable gas resources and also because of their experience of our previous attempt to find gas in the area in 2006,” he explained. “We strive to be good neighbours and the site of that first borehole has now been fully restored to a high standard.”

If planning consent is granted, the company expects the exploratory drilling operation to last for no more than six weeks, after which the rig and associated equipment will be dismantled.  Only the concrete base will remain while the results of the drilling are analysed.

If commercially-viable quantities of gas are found, a new planning permission will have to be sought before it can be exploited.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Simon Mountford on 07836 279685
(email: simon@simon-mountford.co.uk )