First oil flows from North Lincolnshire village well

The site at Wressle near Scunthorpe could produce up to two million barrels of oil

The first oil has been produced by a new well in a North Lincolnshire village.

The site at at Wressle, near Scunthorpe, was given the go-ahead last year by government inspectors following a public inquiry.

Concerns had been raised about the potential impact on water supplies and local residents.

The firm behind the development said the village was sitting on reserves of about two million barrels of oil.

Egdon Resources said the site was a conventional oil-drilling operation and would "not involve the process of hydraulic fracking for shale gas or shale oil".

The oil will be transported by road tanker to a nearby refinery in South Killingholme.

When he approved the site in January last year, government planning inspector Phillip Ware said: "The proposal would deliver economic benefits... and reduce the need for imported fuel."

He added: "I give great weight to these and other benefits. In particular, the proposal would make a significant contribution towards the provision of secure energy supplies and be consistent with the use of a mix of energy sources during the transition to a low-carbon economy."

Opponents had argued that a "rapid and deep cut" in carbon emissions was needed, adding that the proposal would make matters worse.

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