South Western Energy Limited27 Dec 2019 02:10
Things are moving forward
PEDL327
Drilling of a single vertical well for the appraisal and production of oil, together with the establishment and construction of the site compound
Planning Application WD/D/19/002866
Decision due 04Mar 2020
AN oil well is expected to be built less than a kilometre to the north of historic Athelhampton House.
If it finds sufficient oil it could be in operation for up to 25 years with tankers travelling daily to Fawley refinery.
An exploratory rig, if approved, will be in action immediately north of Waterbarn Cottages and to the east of Bardolf Manor off the Puddletown to Blandford Road.
A final decision will be made by Dorset Council together with applications also being made to the Environment Agency.
The application for the pilot production well comes from South Western Energy Ltd, based in Wales.
Documents lodged with the council says the site will “be managed so as to facilitate minimisation of risk, both physical and financial, and minimisation of disturbance.” It stresses that the scheme does not entail fracking.
The company say they will drill a single vertical into the Cornbrash, Bridport Sands and Sherwood Sandstone for the production of oil. The geological formation which the site lies on has been producing oil in Dorset for more than 60 years, with the Sherwood Sandstone reservoir at a depth of 1,800metres.
Access to the site is expected to be either off the A354 Blandford Road using an existing farm track which passes Bardolf Manor with a second access, via a private farm track off the A35 Athelhampton Road.
South Western Energy say that previous testing and a desktop study indicates the presence of hydrocarbons under the site. If the well finds enough to make the site commercially viable oil will be transported by road using tankers to the Fawley Refinery near Southampton.
The proposed well site is in the corner of a field most recently used to grow maize with the application being made with the landowners consent and using his tracks with only minor alterations, mainly repairing pot holes.
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https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/18120267.dorset-oil-rig-work-25-years-approved/