Major Expansion Planned
2022 Revised Planning Application [Approved in March 2022]
West Newton A Wellsite would almost treble in size
+ 4 new wells on this site alone
+ 1 1/2 years of drilling 24/7
+ 25 years of fossil fuel production
up to 25 tankers a day via Hull or Beverley & quiet, rural roads

West Newton A Expansion page here

Introduction
General Information
Location
Timeline
Planning Permission
- No ‘Fracking’ Condition
- Traffic Management Plan
Environment Agency Permits
Site Visits & Reports
West Newton “Community” Liaison Committee Minutes
Odour Management Plan
The West Newton A-2 Drill Rig

Jan 2019: Drilling underway

Introduction

West Newton A well site in East Yorkshire is the location of two deep wells for petroleum exploration and testing.

In summer 2014 this wellsite experienced serious problems during testing.

As Rathlin Energy were carrying out a mini-frac test, on 12th August, there was an incident that resulted in an emergency well shutdown. There is strong evidence that the mini-frac went wrong and damaged the well. There were ongoing gas leaks and noxious smells, and 2 of the 3 tests that were planned (including the mini-frac) were abandoned. There were 19 breaches of permit recorded by the EA, who took Enforcement Action against them, and an investigation by the HSE, which is why they were unable to move on to testing at Crawberry Hill. The lower sections of the well had to be plugged and abandoned.

Rathlin Energy had hoped to commercially produce from this well, but in September 2014 said the Well had been mothballed. They denied the the mini-frac took place, saying they decided not to carry out the test because it was not needed. Video evidence later emerged of their Field Manager, on site at the start of August, confirming a mini-frac was currently under way.

Rathlin Energy then announced plans for a new well just a few fields away – West Newton B.

Struggling financially with £34m of debt, which Rathlin Energy’s auditors said “casts doubts” over their viability, they sold off parts of the licence to Reabold Resources, Union Jack Oil plc, and Humber Oil Ltd (report here). This raised funds to drill and test a second well (WNA-2) in 2019. The test, planned to take weeks, was abandoned after a few days (Aug 2019). Rathlin Energy said they were changing plans after discovering oil as well as gas.

In summer 2021 a Planning Application to quadruple the size of the site and drill 6 new wells was rejected by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

In 2022 a revised Planning Application has been submitted to almost treble the size of the site and drill 4 new wells. Drilling and testing alone would take a year and a half, and it could produce oil for decades to come (the land lease is for up to 50 years).

A Public Consultation is now open, so you can help stop it by objecting now:

West Newton A Expansion page

West Newton well site, October 2014. Not going according to plan. Click to go to the West Newton Gallery page.

General Information

West Newton 1 – Well Schematic

West Newton wellsite is on a farm owned by the Caley family, Norman Caley Ltd. Rathlin Energy (UK) Ltd have a lease which includes the right to lease the land for up to 50 years.

West Newton 1 well was drilled in 2013. It is a 3,250m deep, vertical well, right down to the Bowland Shale. It is 66cm wide at the top, getting narrower in stages, to just 12cm (4 1/2″) at the bottom.

West Newton A-2 was drilled in summer 2019. It is 2,061 metres deep, to the top of the Westphalian Coal Measures.

Note: The letter ‘A’ in ‘West Newton A’ refers to the wellsite.
Previously the site was simply West Newton, until nearby West Newton B wellsite was announced.

The number in ‘West Newton 1’ refers to a particular well. Some wellsites have many wells, especially in unconventional extraction.

Location

West Newton well site is North East of Hull, halfway to the coast, near Withernwick.

Pipers Lane / Fosham Road
Marton
Hull
HU11 5DA

OS map reference TA 19268,39131

Click for interactive Streetmap.

Directions

Burton Constable Hall is on the road from Sproatley to New Ellerby.
Head north on this road with the hall on your left, and take the 2nd right down a dead end road, signposted “High Fosham” just before you reach Marton.
The well site is down there on the right.

Timeline

A timeline of events and news reports is maintained here:

West Newton-A, East Yorkshire – DrillOrDrop

Planning Permission

Planning Permission to construct a wellsite, and drill and test 2 wells, was submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) in Oct 2012. It was approved in Jan 2013, extended for another 3 years in 2015, and extended again in 2018.
In 2021 an application to expand the site and produce oil from it was rejected.
In 2022 a revised, slightly reduced application to expand the site and produce from it will be considered.

The original application, documents, and comments can be viewed here:

2012 Planning » Application Summary 12/04193/STPLF

Sept 2015 Planning Variation for another 3 years 15/03056/STVAR
Planning Officer’s report. Taken from the Agenda here for 26th Nov 2015.

Nov 2015: 3 year extension granted unanimously. A “no fracking” planning condition was added. (See below.)

The 2015 Planning Conditions are listed in the Notice of Decision:
1st click here: Planning Application Documents, then here: Notice of Decision 2015

Sept 2018 Planning Variation for another 3 years 18/02924/CM

Nov 2018: 3 year extension granted, 6 in favour, 5 against. Meeting report here.
Councillors who spoke against: Andy Strangeway (Independent), Malcolm Boatman (Labour), John Whittle (Independent).
Councillors who spoke in support: Charlie Bayram, Bryan Pearson, David Rudd, Mike Stathers (all Conservative).

The Current Planning Conditions are listed in the Notice of Decision:
1st click here: Planning Application Documents, then here: Notice of Decision 2018

West Newton A 2021 Expansion

Dec 2020: Rathlin Energy ask ERYC whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required to expand the site (treble the size) + 6 new wells + oil production for 25 years. It isn’t.

20/04265/EIASCR | EIA Screening Opinion request

Local Councillors and many others jointly wrote to the council, and then to central government, to request an that EIA be required, but still no:

Rathlin’s 25-year oil drilling plans “not likely to have significant effects on the environment”, says minister – DrillOrDrop

March 2021: Rathlin Energy hold an Online Consultation for the public.
The information panels have been saved as a PDF here.

June 2021: Planning Application for a major expansion of West Newton A wellsite
to almost quadruple the size, drill 6 new wells, and start producing oil:

Planning Reference: 21/02464/STFUL

The Planning Officer’s Report recommended Approval. It is in the Agenda for 30 Sept, Item 5, 1.11, on p27.

27 Sept 2021: Pre-Committee Presentation at which each side (Rathlin Energy and the objectors) presented their case for a total of 30 mins each to councillors. It’s on YouTube here.

30 Sept 2021: ERYC Planning Committee reject the application 7 votes to 5. Video here; a short write up here. Rathlin Energy have 6 months to appeal, from the date of the Notice of Decision, 6 Oct.
Notice of Decision: 1st click here: Planning Application Documents, then eDecision

West Newton A 2022 Revised Expansion

Nov 2021: An EIA Screening Opinion is published for a revised Planning Application:
21/04318/EIASCR | EIA Screening Opinion

Dec 2021: A revised, slightly reduced Planning Application for a major expansion of West Newton A wellsite to almost treble the size, drill 4 new wells, and start producing oil:

Planning Reference: 21/04625/CM

January 2022: The public consultation is now open.
Comments are accepted until the Planning Committee Meeting.

“Internal Target Date” 5th Apr. So the Planning Committee Meeting could be 17th March.

Information & How to Object on the West Newton A Expansion page here.

No ‘Fracking’ Condition

Condition 17 of the Planing Permission (2018 Variation of Conditions) states:

“Hydraulic Fracturing is not permitted
… as defined by the Infrastructure Act 2015 and means the hydraulic fracturing of shale … and involves … the injection of more than 1,000 cubic metres of fluid at each stage, or expected stage, … or more than 10,000 cubic metres in total.”

It is important to note that this only prevents very large High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing. Most fracking worldwide would not meet that definition, and therefore according to this government re-definition, is not fracking.

Therefore even with this condition, most fracking is still permitted.

e.g. The 2011 fracking of the Preese Hall well near Blackpool by Cuadrilla (that caused earthquakes), is no longer fracking. Although at the time, the government said it was.

e.g. The mini-frack that went wrong here at West Newton A in 2014. So Rathlin Energy could drill a second well, and try again.

Other loopholes could include some stages being less than 1,000m³ (even if some other stages were more), or fracking in formations other than shale, such as tight sandstones at shallower depths.

Traffic Management Plan

As part of the Planning Permission, Rathlin Energy have agreed a Traffic Management Plan with East Riding of Yorkshire Council. This prescribes a route to the site and various other conditions to reduce the risk with large numbers of large vehicles moving in a rural area of narrow lanes, and to reduce the disruption for local residents.

Rathlin Energy breach the traffic management plan all the time. We’ve logged some of these breaches on the Incidents page.

To download the Traffic Management Plan, first open this planning documents page,
then this download link should work.

Environment Agency Permits

E.A. Wellsite Overview page:

Regulation of Rathlin Energy’s West Newton ‘A’ well site

E.A. Permit Application

Permit number: EPR/BB3001FT/A001

Front Cover and Contents
02 EPRA – West Newton – B9 Application Form
03 EPRA – West Newton – Non Technical Summary
04 EPRA – West Newton – Site Plans
05 EPRA – West Newton – Waste Management Plan
06 EPRA – West Newton – Site Condition Report
07 EPRA – West Newton – Environmental Risk Assessment
09 EPRA – West Newton – Planning Decision Notice
Drilling Products
Final EA objections to Rathlin West Newton Site 4 March 2014

E.A. Permits Issued – May 2014

Permit number: EPR/BB3001FT

EA Permit (installation and a mining waste operation) & Decision Document
EA Permit (radioactive substances activities)

E.A. Permit Variation Application 2015

Additional Supporting Documents
Application Form
Environmental Management System
Hydrogeological Risk Assessment
Non Technical Summary
Surface Water Management Plan

E.A. Permit Variation Application 2019

Permit Number: EPR/BB3001FT/V003

About this consultation
01 NonTechnical Summary R0
02 Application Forms and Supporting Information
03 Site Location Plan and Site Layout Plan R0
04 Waste Management Plan R3
05 Site Condition Report R0
06 Environmental Risk Assessment R0
07 Chemical Inventory R0
08 Odour Management Plan R0
09 Gas Management Plan R0
10 Vapour Recovery Plan R0

Site Visits & Reports

Despite numerous incidents and apparent breaches of planning conditions and Rathlin Energy’s total lack of experience, regulators rarely visited the well sites, until things went wrong in 2014. All site visits up to July 2014 are listed below (we know this from a Freedom of Information request), along with any reports to which we have access. Please let us know if you become aware of any additional visits not listed.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Site Visits

No site visits since planning permission granted.

Additional information from ERYC:

Site visits took place to both sites by the Case Officer Mrs Shirley Ross when the planning applications were being processed by the Council. This is standard practice on all applications and allows the case officer to familiarise themselves with the proposed site and wider surroundings.

The officer has produced site notes and detailed Committee Reports when the planning applications at both Crawberry Hill and West Newton were being processed and these are available on line. No further monitoring reports have been produced by the officer.

Health & Safety Executive Site Visits

6th August 2014
Two Well Operation Inspectors were on site 7.5 hours. No written report as everything was satisfactory.

[Later in 2014 there were numerous visits for an HSE investigation.]

Environment Agency Site Visits

Since 2019, site visit reports are posted on the E.A. website, on the wellsite Overview page:

Regulation of Rathlin Energy’s West Newton ‘A’ well site

e.g. “20210929 WNA CAR”

The number is the date of the report, YYYY MM DD; WNA = West Newton A wellsite; and CAR = Compliance Assessment Report.

E.A. Reports 2014 – 2018

3rd June 2014

EA Report – mining waste REDACTED.PDF
EA Report – installation REDACTED.PDF

3rd July

The following systems were lacking:
* Management Systems and Operating Procedures
* Accident and Emergency Incident Planning

EA Report – installation CAR REDACTED.PDF
EA Report mining waste CAR REDACTED.PDF

25th July

EA Report – installation CAR REDACTED.PDF

28th Aug

Rathlin Installation CAR – REDACTED
Rathlin waste activity CAR – REDACTED

“Very strong smell of gas/H2S”

5th Sept

Rathlin Energy BB3001FT waste activity CAR REDACTED

10th Sept

Environmental Permit compliance inspection, and to carry out odour monitoring following a report received via the Environment Agency incident line.
Warning Issued. Must Implement odour management.

Rathlin Energy waste activity CAR REDACTED

“extremely strong hydrocarbon type odour present on site”

This odour was later reported in this Guardian article.

EA also stated:

Following communication with the Environment Agency Rathlin Energy voluntarily suspended well testing operations at the West Newton Well Site.

19th Sept

Environmental Permit compliance inspection and odour monitoring. The inspection confirmed that no well testing was taking place on site. Odour management techniques were discussed with the site operator.

Ratlin BB3001FT CAR installation REDACTED
Ratlin BB3001FT CAR mining waste REDACTED

24th Sept

Rathlin BB3001FT CAR installation REDACTED
Rathlin BB3001FT CAR waste activity REDACTED

“hydrocarbon type odour was present on site”

EA also stated:

We have investigated the source of the odour and believe it to have been caused by the cold venting of low flows of natural gas via the enclosed flare stack. The operator has now made changes on site to ensure natural gas is only sent to the flare stack at pressures above the minimum flare operating pressure. The change means that the natural gas, and the odorous components within it, will be combusted. We expect these measures to reduce odour from the site.

The Environment Agency gave its agreement to re-commencement of well testing operations on 24/09/2014.

10th Oct

EA Compliance Assessment Report – 10th Oct 2014

“The operator is carrying out vermin control on site using rodenticide in bait boxes and that is believed to be contributing to the numbers of small dead mammals found in the open section of containment ditch.”

Shortly after this Rathlin Energy strenuously denied poisoning local wildlife in their PR, saying, “this is completely untrue”. See Incident page here.

30th Oct

EA are visiting site weekly. Reports to follow.

Letter from EA to residents living very close to West Newton – Oct 2014

2018

EA Compliance Assessment Report – 4th Dec 2018 – desktop assessment, rather than a site visit.
EA Compliance Assessment Report – 10th Dec 2018 – site visit, no breaches.

West Newton “Community” Liaison Committee Minutes

Rathlin Energy hold periodic, private meetings with a few selected members of the local community who live close to their well sites. Rathlin Energy organise, chair, and minute the meetings. Even silent observers are refused entry. They then boast about the extent of their public engagement work.

This is the work of Rathlin Energy’s PR guy, Simon Taylor, MD of Mercury Communications, who boasts of, “Dealing with two of the country’s most difficult onshore planning applications, co-ordinating all communications and stakeholder communications“.

Simon Taylor has a murky past, regarding his rather too cosy relationship with East Riding of Yorkshire Council (who previously employed him, and then immediately, dubiously, and expensively contracted his company), and in particular former Councillor Parnaby (who was leader of the council), as exposed in Private Eye, and briefly covered by the Yorkshire Post.

Rathlin Energy even removed all but the most recent minutes of the meetings from their website. Perhaps they lack the resources? Not to worry, we’re happy to host them on Rathlin Energy’s behalf. Here they are.

Odour Management Plan – includes air sample results with VOC levels

Odour Management Plan

The West Newton A-2 Drill Rig

In January 2019 a rig drilled the first section of well, the conductor.

In April 2019 another rig was delivered to site for the main drilling. It is believed to be BDF28, made from a cut up 1950s fire engine, a Green Goddess, now so unreliable they have to be moved by low loader. There are photos of it being delivered on the West Newton A Gallery.