New onshore oil and gas licenses

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) have announced that 27 onshore oil and gas blocks from the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round will be formally offered to companies.  The announcement comes following a total of 95 applications from 47 companies for onshore exploration and developing licenses covering 295 Ordinance Survey blocks.

A second group of 132 blocks are to be offered after they have been subjected to assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation 2010.   The consultation allowed the public and other interested parties to submit responses by the end of September.  The OGA is now considering the results of the consultation before any further blocks are offered.

The level of interest in onshore licenses is encouraging given the slow start the industry has had in the UK and the regulatory hurdles they have had to overcome before production can begin.

For more information, help or advice please contact Andrew Davison on 0191 211 7950.