Introduction
When the Somerset Minerals Plan (SMP) was adopted, there was an area in Somerset covered by a Petroleum Extraction Development Licence (PEDL) issued through the 13th licencing round by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), now the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).
Petroleum Extraction Development Licences
PEDLs give exclusive rights to the holder for exploration and extraction of oil and gas within a defined area. Obtaining a licence does not convey consent to drill or undertake any other form of operations – in addition to other regulatory consents, the licence holder would need to obtain planning permission from the Mineral Planning Authority.
Information on energy minerals and licencing arrangements for oil and gas development are set out in Chapter 9 of the SMP and Minerals Topic Paper 4.
The licence holder did not apply for planning permission for exploration, appraisal or production development in the licenced area and the PEDL expired.
Further PEDLs were issued for licenced areas in Somerset through the 14th licencing round in 2016, for an initial 5 year period. The time limited licences were extended but the licence holder did not apply for planning permission for exploration, appraisal or production development in those areas. These licences expired in 2023.
There are currently no licenced areas in Somerset. Information on licenced areas is published on the NSTA website: Onshore Oil and Gas Activity (arcgis.com)
Fracking moratorium
In 2019, Government introduced a moratorium on fracking for shale gas. A report by the Oil and Gas Authority concluded that it was not possible with technology available at that time to accurately predict the probability of tremors associated with fracking.
Whilst the moratorium was temporarily lifted in September 2022, Government announced in October 2022 that it would again take a presumption against issuing any further hydraulic fracturing consents, advising that this position will be maintained until compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.