INEOS Shale challenges The National Trust over refusal to allow geological survey
INEOS has submitted an application to allow access to Clumber Park for geological surveys
The Trust has refused all offers of meetings – leaving INEOS no option but to apply to the Oil and Gas Authority
Ron Coyle, CEO of INEOS Shale says, “The National Trust’s position is overly and overtly political and throughout this process they have refused to engage with us or the science.”
INEOS Shale has today submitted an application to the Oil and Gas Authority for access to Clumber Park for geological surveys. INEOS has repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting with the National Trust as landowner of Clumber Park but the Trust refuses to even speak to the company.
The application, if granted, will allow INEOS to seek a court order enforcing its rights under licence to acquire seismic data over Clumber Park. Under the Mines (Working Facilities & Support) Act 1966 INEOS has the right to carry out a seismic survey if a court agrees that a landowner is unreasonably refusing it access to do so and that the survey is in the national interest. INEOS believes the Trust has behaved unreasonably, it is firmly in the national interest and that a court would back its position.
The Government licence carries with it an obligation to comprehensively investigate the subsurface. 3D geological surveys are essential to achieve this. The geological surveys are classed as non-intrusive. They involve the use of specialist trucks to create and record sound waves in order to map rocks deep underground. The condition of the land is recorded before the survey and restored to the same condition afterwards. INEOS has agreed to share the results with the national archives for the benefit of the nation and future generations. Hundreds of other landowners have already agreed to the surveys.
Ron Coyle said today, “The National Trust’s position is overly and overtly political and throughout this process they have refused to engage with us or the science.”
“At INEOS we are developing a shale gas industry that is safe and essential for the UK and the economy. It is estimated that the industry will create tens of thousands of well-paid jobs and INEOS has pledged to give 6% of revenue to local people – potentially amounting to billions of pounds. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering have stated that shale gas extraction is safe if properly regulated.”
ENDS
Contacts
Richard Longden (INEOS) 0041 21 627 7063 or 0041 7996 26123
Andrew McLachlan (Media Zoo) 020 7384 6980 or 07931 377162
Joseph Wade (Media Zoo) 020 7384 6980 or 07758 074 576