INEOS Shale disappointed as Rotherham council refuses Woodsetts core test
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council refused permission for a vertical core test well at Woodsetts.
- The application sought permission for a single vertical core bore well to gain scientific knowledge; extraction would require a separate application.
- INEOS says a majority of external statutory consultees supported its case and that ecological mitigation was included in the plans.
- INEOS argues shale gas is strategically important for UK energy security and estimates the industry could bring £33 billion of investment into England over the next two decades.
Council decision
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council officers refused the application for test core drilling at Woodsetts. INEOS Shale described the decision as disappointing and said a majority of external statutory consultees had sided with its arguments.
Proposed work
The application proposed drilling a single vertical core bore well to gain scientific knowledge of subsurface geology; INEOS stated the plans included ecological mitigation. It emphasised that any future gas extraction would require a completely separate application and compared the proposed test to past council approvals used to support the coal industry.
Energy security and investment case
INEOS argued shale gas is of strategic importance to the UK and could strengthen security of supply, reducing reliance on countries such as Russia or the Middle East. The company cited recent adverse weather events that brought the UK close to running out of gas and said shale could help lower energy prices. It estimates the shale industry could bring £33 billion of investment into England over the next two decades.
Local economic context
INEOS linked the issue to local manufacturing, noting Rotherham relies on jobs at firms such as Liberty Steel and that high energy costs have threatened operations and investment in the North of England.
Source: INEOS