Egdon Resources plc (AIM:EDR) is pleased to provide an update on the Wressle Development Public Inquiry.
The Wressle Development Public Inquiry concluded yesterday, having commenced on 5 November 2019 in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. The inquiry lasted just three days, including a site visit, instead of the planned six days. As previously announced North Lincolnshire Council presented no evidence against the appeal. An application for costs has also been submitted.
With a general election underway and resultant Planning Inspectorate purdah we expect a verdict on our appeal after 12 December 2019 but probably before the end of the year.
Commenting, Mark Abbott, Managing Director of Egdon Resources plc, said:
"We presented a very strong case, supported by detailed evidence and agree with the conclusions of the Council's own professional planning officer. This was reinforced by an expert third party review undertaken on behalf of the Council, who recommended our revised application for approval ahead of the November 2018 decision."
Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, the UK and Ireland focused oil and gas exploration, development and production company, notes today’s update from Egdon Resources (‘Egdon’) regarding the Public Inquiry into the proposed development of the Wressle oil field in the East Midlands which concluded yesterday.
As previously announced, North Lincolnshire Council presented no evidence at the inquiry, which was held in Scunthorpe to consider Egdon’s appeal against the refusal of planning consent by the Council’s Planning Committee for the development of the Wressle Field (‘the Appeal’). As a result, the Wressle Development Public Inquiry, which commenced on 5 November 2019 and included a site visit, lasted three days rather than the scheduled six days.
Due to the Planning Inspectorate purdah arising from the UK general election, Egdon expects a verdict on the Appeal post the election date of 12 December 2019, potentially before the end of the year. In addition to the Appeal, an application for costs has been submitted by Egdon on behalf of all the partners in Wressle. Europa has a 30% working interest in licence PEDL 180 (‘the Licence’) which holds the Wressle oil discovery, alongside Egdon (operator, 30%), Union Jack Oil (27.5%), and Humber Oil & Gas Limited (12.5%) (together ‘the Partners’).
The Wressle oil field was discovered in 2014 by the Wressle-1 well. During testing, a total of 710 barrels of oil equivalent per day were recovered from three separate reservoirs, the Ashover Grit, the Wingfield Flags and the Penistone Flags. Under the proposed development plan, Wressle would commence production at an initial gross rate of 500bopd, which would more than double Europa’s existing UK onshore production to over 200bopd. In September 2016, a Competent Person’s Report provided independent estimates of reserves and contingent and prospective oil and gas resources for the Wressle discovery of 2.15 million stock tank barrels classified as discovered (2P+2C).
Union Jack Oil plc (AIM: UJO), a UK focused onshore conventional hydrocarbon production, development and exploration company is pleased to provide an update on the Wressle Development Public Inquiry (the "Public Inquiry").
Union Jack holds a 27.5% interest in PEDL180 and PEDL182, which contains the Wressle hydrocarbon discovery.
The Public Inquiry concluded on 7 November 2019, having commenced on 5 November 2019 in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. The Public Inquiry, which included a site visit, lasted three days, instead of the planned six days. As previously announced, North Lincolnshire Council presented no evidence. An application for costs has also been submitted.
With a general election campaign underway and Planning Inspectorate purdah in place, the Company and its joint venture partners at Wressle expect a decision on the Public Inquiry to be announced after 12 December 2019, the date of the general election, and before the end of 2019.
David Bramhill, Executive Chairman of Union Jack, commented:
"Union Jack, whose representatives were in attendance for all three days of the Planning Inquiry, believes that the Operator, Egdon Resources plc, presented an extremely strong case on behalf of the joint venture partners, supported by their expert witness team."