UK’s second biggest onshore gas field predicted in Surrey

The small village of Dunsfold in Surrey could be on the UK’s second biggest onshore gas field, an exploration company said this morning.

UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) described its proposed well site near the village as “a significant gas resource”.

A report by the Xodus Group on the site, called Loxley, estimated the mean case gross gas initially in place at 49 bcf [billion cubic feet] and the mean gross recoverable resource at 34 bcf

Interpreting the findings, UKOG said:

“If proven by future production, the calculated gross mean recoverable resources would place Loxley second after the Saltfleetby gas field [in Lincolnshire], the UK onshore’s largest gas field to date, which produced approximately 73 bcf [billion cubic feet].”

A planning application for the Loxley site was refused on 29 June 2020 by Surrey County Council by six votes to five. This was against the recommendation of planning officers.

Five weeks later, the decision was ruled invalid after an investigation into problems during the remote council meeting.

The application is to be considered again at a future meeting.

UKOG said today it expected this to be on 22 October 2020, the next available meeting. But there have been suggestions that the decision is more likely to be made at a meeting in November.

UKOG’s chief executive, Stephen Sanderson, said:

“The [Xodus] report underlines the Company’s stated viewpoint that Loxley is a material UK gas resource, potentially one of the largest in the UK onshore’s history, capable in the success case of making a significant and timely contribution to the local and national requirement for net zero compliant energy.”

Today’s report and comments by UKOG are far more positive than analysis by Xodus for UKOG in 2018.

This said the dataset for the Godley Bridge gas discovery, near Dunsfold, “gives significant uncertainty in the assessment of in place volumes”.

Xodus said there was gas bearing reservoir in all its scenarios for UKOG’s Dunsfold licence, PEDL234. But it said “more data is required to properly estimate the in place volumes”.

Xodus added “a further modern appraisal well and extended test is required to narrow the current uncertainties and enable a better estimation of potential recoverable resources to be undertaken”.

Source: drillordrop.com

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