Company 'seizing' Ukraine war to justify Lincolnshire oil plans - campaigners

Residents said they had endured years of anxiety over the plans

An oil company has been accused of "seizing" on the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to push on with plans for exploratory drilling in Lincolnshire.

Egdon Resource said extending permissions near North Kelsey could provide valuable UK-based oil reserves.

Residents against the proposals said "horrors" in Ukraine had been "seized upon by Egdon to justify this project".

The company's application to allow more time for oil exploration at the site was refused by the council.

Egdon, which has had permission to explore in the area since 2014, was seeking the right to continue for another 12 months.

The company wanted to change the date by which restoration of the sites needs to be completed

But campaigners argued the amount of oil from the land would be "trivial" and said the site was home to rare wildlife species, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Egdon managing director Mark Abbot told Lincolnshire County Council's planning and regulation committee that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had brought into focus significant rises in oil prices and volatility in pricing.

"It's essential that there is sufficient supply of minerals to provide the infrastructure and buildings energy and goods that the country needs," he said.

"Great weight should be given to these benefits… It's clear that there remains a national need for onshore oil and gas as part of the diverse and secure energy supply."

'Years of anxiety'

He blamed Covid for delaying work and said it impacted on plant operations in North Kelsey.

He said re-evaluations carried out in that time had identified a better location 70-100 metres north which had the potential for greater amounts of oil.

However, Amanda Suddaby, representing residents, told the meeting they had endured years of anxiety over the plans.

She said figures showed the plans "might produce 50 to 200 barrels a day" and argued 15 years' output would "produce enough oil to supply the UK for just a few hours, not even a day".

Backing campaigners, Louth Wolds ward councillor Hugo Marfleet, said: "This is not going to influence and be a game changer for anything about oil supply.

"If they want proper oil go to the North Sea, but this is a little pond that's actually has no water left in it."

Rejecting the plans, councillors said they were unconvinced by the company's arguments with councillor Thomas Smith saying that using the Ukraine conflict as justification was "disingenuous".

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