Charles Jillings, CEO of Utilico, energized by strong economic momentum across Latin America. Watch the video here.
We remain a part of the continent of Europe and still trade energy daily with other European countries via the electricity and gas interconnectors. In the event of an emergency we can shutdown these interconnectors to preserve resources in the UK (The UK will stress test its emergency gas shortage plan in September). I would like to think that given the Ukraine/Russian conflict, that we would choose to work together with our neighbours to resolve the situation rather than shut ourselves off.
The situation may require similar actions as to those taken in 1942/3, when over 100 wells were drilled in Sherwood Forest within 12 months to provide oil for the war effort. Assets such as Wressle, Biscathorpe, West Newton etc. would then become sites of national importance for energy security.
The UK has over 58GW of heavily subsidised renewable electricity generating capacity. During winter 2021/22 electricity demand peaked at 48GW, yet there wasn’t a single minute when fossil fuel generation was not needed. The man is delusional.
Who knows what situation we could be in by October/November of this year, but it’s looking ever more likely in Europe that shouts of ‘drill baby drill’ will replace calls for net zero.
Processing and exporting gas into the grid is fairly straight forward and common practice. The only foreseeable delay could be the eco-loons objecting to the planning application, but who in their right mind would object against switching away from onsite flaring?
Mirasol, the Grid themselves aren't interested in the small amounts available?
Angus are in the process of reconnecting a gas well at Saltfleetby to the grid.
Plus, I don’t know the figures for 2021/2 but In 2020 there were 95 small registered producers of biomethane connected to the UK gas distribution grid.
Perhaps a reminder from history is required to highlight what can be achieved in situations such as those we now face.
https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/the-roughneck-us-cowboys-who-drilled-britains-secret-wwii-oil-wells/
Going to be interesting to learn if the planning committee believes (just like Boris), that in the face of the appalling crisis unfolding in the Ukraine and the placing of justifiable sanctions on Russia, that it is more virtuous to beg another country, one that has a terrible human rights record and one that has just beheaded 81 people, for more oil rather than to produce that oil ourselves.
UK gas figures for 2021 according to BEIS :- production 430TWh, imports 482TWh, exports 75TWh.
If WN produces small quantities of gas,
it would be used onsite to generate electricity. For larger quantities, a National Grid tie in would be used to export gas or a pipeline to the Saltend petrochemical site. Discussions between Rathlin, National Grid and the operators at Saltend have taken place.
The light oil found so far at WN is very versatile and could be used as a raw material or cracked to create different types of hydrocarbon such as diesel, petrol, etc.
The Bowland-Hodder shale formation is 1000m deeper than the Rathlin Energy wells.
Any increase in nuclear will take 10 to 20 years to achieve, renewable energy capacity increases can be achieved more quickly but doesn’t remove the need for gas generators, the timeline for the switch to heat pumps is anyone’s guess. Unless he changes policy and allows more oil and gas production, the UK’s energy security will still rely on being willing to pay more to import pipeline gas and LNG than anyone else in the world. That’s not good news for anyone.
From the latest Egdon/Wressle community liaison meeting
Mark Abbott gave an update of operations on site. There have been no health or safety or environmental issues. Oil production continues to be constrained by the equipment on site to between 600 and 650 barrels per day. Pressure data indicates that the well has potential to achieve between 1000 and 1200 barrels per day if the equipment could manage the associated gas. There may be cranes seen on site as the temporary equipment is replaced with more permanent facilities.
The quarterly report for water monitoring has been produced and has been posted on the community website. There is nothing out of the ordinary in those results.
We continue to work on options to use the gas which is being produced with the oil. We have existing planning permission in place for a gas engine to be installed on site (which would convert gas to electricity for export to the grid). However, if we wanted to export gas into the local network then that will require a small additional planning permission. Other gas usage options are also being evaluated.
following the upgrade of the gas incineration system (266 barrels net to Union Jack) plus 368,000 cubic feet of gas (147,200 cubic feet net to Union Jack) over the past seven days, equating to a gross 727 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
727 barrels of oil equivalent is the same as 1235.47 MWh.
Dutch TTF nat gas benchmark jumped to a settlement all-time high of almost €147 per MWh today.
With a secondary separation unit to be installed and a report of a sooty flare observed, it suggests that oil/ gas separation problems could be the issue restricting production to 666 BBC’s/day, rather than the 10 tonnes per day of gas incineration limit on the flare being reached.
Gas production at Caythorpe was initially from the Rotliegendes sandstone reservoir, but in 2002 the field was re-completed within the Permian carbonate section.
Planning permission was sought and granted for gas storage by Warwick Energy in 2006 prior to the project being sold to Centrica Storage Limited in 2008.
The gas storage project was due to come online in 2011/12 but was put on hold indefinitely in 2013.
Must have come as a big shock to Harry to find that the EA hadn’t given permission for Rathlin to use CO2 at WNA because Rathlin hadn’t applied to use it. Bit of a waste of taxpayers payers money and EA time, but at least the residents of Ellerby are now aware who the front runner in the village idiot competition is.
Permit variation documents now available on EA website
https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/psc/regulation-of-rathlin-energy-s-west-newton-b/supporting_documents/Rathlin%20WNB%20Decision%20Document%20DB3503HLV002.pdf