One million barrels of oil could lie beneath Laughton

Egdon Resources has submitted a planning application to Lincolnshire County Council to drill up to three exploratory bore holes and carry out well testing at land to the north of Scotter Road in the village.

If given the green light drilling would take place 24 hours a day for around 35 days for each test.

Mark Abbott, managing director of Egdon said: “The initial focus will be the drilling of the Laughton-1 exploration well, which will target a conventional prospect with gross Best Estimate Prospective Resources in the primary reservoir target of around one million barrels of oil close to existing production.”

“Subject to planning, we expect to drill the Laughton-1 well as part of our planned 2014 drilling programme.”

The application site has been designated by the West Lindsey Local Plan as an ‘area of great landscape value’.

Many Laughton residents have made representations to the council, asking for permission to be refused.

They have cited everything from the ecological impact and noise levels to inadequate roads and fire safety as reasons to refuse the proposal.

One resident said: “I am very disturbed by the prospect of exploratory oil drilling in my village. As a shift worker the thought of 24 hour drilling for any amount of time worries me.”

Another was concerned about safety, and said: “It is well known that oil exploration and accidents often go hand-in-hand.”

“Given the proximity to the village I would think it ludicrous to even consider such an application so close to resident’s homes.”

Laughton Parish Council is also opposed to the plans, and said a similar application was refused back in 2001 for a series of reasons including landscape impact.

A council spokesman added: “We are of the view that those objections are still valid and that nothing has changed since, except that the new proposal site is twice the size of its predecessor.”

Egdon has 60 per cent of the UK Onshore Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence for the site. Blackland Park Exploration Limited has 28 per cent and Stelinmatvic Industries Limited has 12 per cent.

The plans have yet to go before the board of Lincolnshire County Council to be considered.

To find out more about the application visit http://eplanning.lincolnshire.gov.uk