Hull Policy Opposes Fracking
Hull City Council has a policy “to oppose the extraction of unconventional oil and gas using extraction techniques generally referred to as “fracking””.
“It will enable the Council to take appropriate steps to protect the City, its residents and business from any potential adverse impacts of the fracking process.”
The city was covered by Oil & Gas Licence PEDL183, giving exclusive rights to Rathlin Energy, but isn’t any more, thankfully (see below).
Hull could certainly be effected though, as Rathlin Energy has already drilled 2 wells in the East Riding, and more are planned. For details of those, see Where > Holderness. The wells go through the underground aquifer that supplies Hull’s drinking water. Vehicles servicing the wells East of Hull, some of which carry hazardous or radioactive chemicals and waste, are highly likely to pass through the city, for example on the A63.
Hull City Council’s Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction Policy covers:
- the impact upon existing water resources for the City
- concerns related to seismic activity
- road traffic
- fracked liquid transportation and disposal
- the impact of fracking on climate change
- what Hull City Council can, and can’t, do to oppose fracking
The policy is here:
Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction Policy – Hull City Council
There is a list of councils that oppose fracking here:
Frack free councils – Drill or Drop
Hull No Longer Licensed for Exploration
In June 2016 many oil & gas companies, including Rathlin Energy, were due to return half of their licence areas. Rathlin Energy relinquished some area in the south of their licence, PEDL183.
The whole of Hull, Hessle, Brough, and Spurn Point are no longer licensed for oil & gas exploration.
Licence area PEDL183 before and after: Rathlin Energy gave up parts in the south, in June 2016. Under the terms of their licence they were due to relinquish half of the area, yet for some unspecified reason they were not forced to do so.
However, Rathlin Energy have clearly been allowed to keep far more than half of the licence area, contrary to the conditions of the licence. Why?
DrillOrDrop asked the Oil & Gas Authority for details about why some initial terms had been extended and why the size of the relinquished areas varied. A spokesperson said today:
“Regarding the reasons behind specific relinquishments and amended terms for listed PEDLs, we don’t publish the individual reasons for each.”