Applications for Permit Variations at Horse Hill oilfield

Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL) has applied for several permit variations as part of its operations at Horse Hill well site in Surrey.

These are to:

• Construct up to 4 new boreholes in addition to the 2 boreholes already constructed;
• Use 2 of the 6 boreholes as reinjection wells to support production;
• Carry out well treatments such as an acid wash and solvent treatments;
• Run 90-day well tests for each of the 4 additional wells before they are either added as production wells at the site, or abandoned;
• Undertake an injectivity test within one of the wells (HH-2z) and any other wells as dictated by HHDL;
• Incinerate natural gas at a rate not exceeding 10 tonnes per day during production operations. This to continue until it can be demonstrated that the incineration of natural gas is no longer considered Best Available Technique through a cost-benefit analysis.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

An environmental permit sets out stringent conditions that all oil and gas sites must adhere to. We will not issue an environmental permit for a site if we consider that activities taking place will cause significant pollution to the environment or harm to human health.

Public consultation lets people and organisations take part in our decision making. We welcome specifically, comments on environmental and health issues and where people have particular local knowledge. We take all relevant comments into account when making our decisions.

When making permit decisions, we use information on the potential environmental and human health impacts of the activity.

In deciding whether or not to issue the permit, the Environment Agency will take into account all relevant considerations and legal requirements.

Public consultation

A second round of consultation is now open for public comments, before the Environment Agency makes the final decision on whether to issue the permit variations.

The consultation is now open and will run until Thursday 31 March 2022.

See further information and details on how to take part in the consultation.

Previous public consultation on the permit variations took place between 22 March and 21 April 2021.

For further information, please email KSLE@environment-agency.gov.uk.

For further information on how we determine applications, the timescales involved and how we regulate onshore oil and gas, please see the following links: • Environmental permitting: public participation statement • Onshore oil and gas exploration and extraction: environmental permits • Onshore oil and gas regulation – information page

Public consultations

See further information on how when and how the Environment Agency consults on permit applications and standard rules for environmental permits