The group of junior oilers advancing the Horse Hill discovery, near Gatwick airport, has applied for planning permission for a new phase of appraisal and development work.
The plan is to carry out a new long term production test on the Horse Hill 1 well, which previously flowed at a rate of 1,688 barrels of oil per day from four reservoir zones.
Assuming the test meets expectations it is anticipated that two news will be drilled at the site.
A deviated sidetrack, Horse Hill 1z, will be drilled out of the existing bore hole and after that comes the Horse Hill 2 well.
The programme is designed to confirm the discovery’s commerciality, examine a previously untested zone within Horse Hill’s Kimmeridge play, and will provide the cornerstone of the field’s future development.
It is noted that the planning application doesn’t require a new Environmental Impact Assessment and the companies involved expect the planning approval process will take approximately 13 weeks.
"This planning application, together with our recent Markwells Wood appraisal and development planning application, is firmly designed to move these assets into near term oil production and the monetisation of our core recoverable resources,” said Stephen Sanderson, executive chairman of UK Oil & Gas Investments PLC (LON:UKOG), the largest UK listed stakeholder with 31.2% of Horse Hill.
“It is also one of the next key steps in furthering our industry leading knowledge of the Kimmeridge limestone play that lies beneath our extensive acreage holding in the Weald.
He added: “We look forward to further engaging with stakeholders and to a successful planning outcome."
Solo Oil PLC (LON:SOLO) is another of the London-listed oil firms with interests in the project. It has a 6.5% interest in the venture.
Neil Ritson, Solo chairman, added: “This planning application is part of a multi-phase process designed to move the Horse Hill discovery into near term oil production and revenue generation.
“The data collected during the planned appraisal work will also have further impact on understanding the prospectivity of the HHDL licences and the Weald Basin more generally."