IGas loses appeal against refusal for Ellesmere Port shale gas

Island Gas (IGas) Ltd has lost its appeal against council refusal for permission to extract shale gas at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

APPLICATION

The company’s application from 2017 was initially refused permission by Cheshire West and Cheshire Council, which led to IGas appealing and a public inquiry in 2019.

The appeal was recovered by the secretary of state for the final decision.

IGas had planned to mobilise well test equipment, including a workover rig and associated equipment, to the existing wellsite to perform a workover, drill stem test and extended well test of the hydrocarbons encountered during the drilling of the EP1 well, followed by well suspension.

NET ZERO

On 7 June 2022, the secretary of state issued his decision agreeing with the inspector’s recommendation that the appeal be dismissed and planning permission refused.

His report stated that although shale development was of national importance, the impact on climate change should also be given great weight and was not just of national but worldwide importance.

“The GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions from the development cannot be dismissed as just a drop in the ocean.

“Every tonne of CO₂ released into the atmosphere by the flaring of the methane is adding to the cumulative emissions of CO₂ that have been a major factor in causing global warming.

“Urgent actions are needed to cut emissions.

“The net zero report emphasises that the ‘business as usual’ approach cannot continue.

“Mitigation of global emissions is vital and is a requirement of the Paris Agreement.

“To conclude this further assessment, the evidence is that the appeal proposal would give rise to unmitigated GHG emissions of between 3.3 to 21.3 kt CO₂ equivalent although the actual release is more likely to be towards the top end of the range in my view.”

IGas has six weeks in which to appeal against the decision.

*INEOS Upstream Ltd also lost its appeal against Rotherham City Council’s refusal to allow work involving shale gas extraction for a temporary period of five years near Woodsetts, Rotherham.