Oil and gas extraction near Yorkshire village could be given the green light

Rathlin Energy (UK) Limited has run an exploratory drilling site near West Newton in since 2013, but it wants a new permit to begin commercial operations.

It is also planning to create six additional wells, relocate oil storage facilities and install gas engines that will generate electricity for the National Grid. 

According to Rathlin, production on the site, which is known as West Newton A, could begin in 2026.

The company said it could provide enough gas to meet the needs of more than 380,000 homes across the UK.

The Environment Agency said it “cannot find any reason to refuse the application” for a permit, as “appropriate measures” are in place to ensure the operation will not harm the environment or human health.

But it is currently running a public consultation, which will allow people to have their say on Rathlin’s application for a new permit until Wednesday, July 5.

Environmentalist have staged a number of protests at the drilling site in recent years and blocked the road to disrupt the company’s operations.

Kathryn Richardson, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “The views of the local community on this site are hugely important, which is why we are once again running a consultation now we are at draft decision stage.

“In assessing this permit variation, we have completed a detailed and rigorous assessment of Rathlin Energy's application to ensure the operating techniques and control measures at the proposed facility comply with the legal requirements of the Environmental Permitting Regulations – which are in place to protect people and the environment.

“We welcome comments from the public and interested groups.”

Drilling in West Newton allows Rathlin to access natural gas, primarily methane, and light oil in the Kirkham Abbey reservoir.

The company has previously stated that commercial production could start as early as 2026 – as long as regulatory approvals are “expedited and supply chain delays can be managed”.

In a statement, Rathlin said: “From a local resident perspective, a development with more gas production and less oil production will significantly reduce the volume of truck traffic associated with production and allow for the installation of a pipeline to deliver natural gas directly to the National Grid.

“Domestically produced natural gas is, and will remain, a much-needed part of the energy mix as the UK seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign gas, whether delivered by pipeline or as liquified natural gas (LNG) in oceangoing tankers.

"In 2020 the North Sea Transition Authority, the government-owned company which regulates oil and gas activity, stated that locally produced natural gas ‘creates less than half as much greenhouse gas as imported LNG”.