7th June 2022
Charles McAllister, Director of Policy, Government and Public Affairs said:
“UKOOG welcomes the decision today from Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to approve an application for UKOG’s conventional natural gas project in Surrey. This decision enables the production of lower carbon UK gas for local homes and businesses, as well as offering increased energy security and domestic employment”
“However, the Minister of State has rejected an application for a non-hydraulic fracturing shale exploration site in Woodsetts, against the recommendation of the planning inspector, and an application to test an existing well site in Ellesmere Port. We wish to highlight the inconsistency with which decisions have been made across the country, especially as the Secretary of State has had the inspectors report for INEOS’ Woodsetts and IGas’ Ellesmere Port applications since the 6th of January 2020, meaning a decision time of 883 days, well beyond the deadline for both decisions and beyond what any industry should have to accept. These latter decisions undermine confidence in UK onshore oil and gas investment and have not considered material national and international developments since 2020”
“If the UK really wants secure, clean and affordable British energy for the long term, as highlighted in the British Energy Security Strategy, then much greater weight needs to be attached to the evident economic, environmental and geopolitical merits of onshore oil and gas production in the UK or we will continue to drift deeper into dependence on foreign sources.”
-ENDS-
