Fracking developments - an update

We would like to thank Chris Crook who has highlighted important developments in the fracking industry. We hope you find this useful and will do your best to prevent fracking from at your doorstep.

• Big news of the day/year was that Scotland, after having a moratorium, now intends to ban Fracking. The term Fracking has been implied to cover unconventional oil and gas extraction. Unconventional refers to the type of rock formation from with the gas/oil is extracted and this is typically the Kimmeridge Clay layers. Therefore this bans appears to cover Fracking, acidisation and other methods used to extract oil/gas from the shale.
• Locally we have a number of oil and gas wells. Some have been operating on conventional rock formations for many years. The 'nodding donkeys' which use to pump this oil to the surface would have been seen at Brockham (until last year) and Bletchingley and Palmers Wood near Reigate. Now more modern electric pumps are used
• The newer wells are those at Horse Hill (near Horley), Leith Hill and Brockham.
• Leith Hill has not been drilled. UKOG are waiting for the traffic management plan to be approved before they can start exploration work. This would involve 100's of HGV movements along Coldharbour Lane and it is not too late to express your opinions to SCC. There is a Protection Camp just by the site which monitors the movements and work being carried out there. Any help or support you can give the people there would be gratefully received.
• Horse Hill - Horse Hill Developments has just had an application approved to allow further exploration and flow testing which is likely to start in December. This has been described by the oil industry as a fracking site.
• Brockham recently put up new buildings on their site and drilled a side track well without planning permission. The buildings were recently granted retrospective approval by SCC but the side track well is still under dispute. They have also just requested permission to generate electricity from the site. This is the site were 9 local people were arrested and charged with obstruction for trying to raise awareness to SCC, Surrey Police and the local public about Angus Energy's non permitted work and working overnight. Seems there is one rule for companies and another for locals.