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Process of Securing & Drilling a Site

Desktop screening work and physical visits to the sites allowed Composite Energy to high grade the licences they apply for not just in terms of their "Gas in Place" (GIP) potential, but also in terms of the interplay the surface constraints would exercise on the ability to access the resource. Following award of the licence, Composite Energy's Geologist's identified where within the licence would be the best place to invest efforts in retrieving coal samples as part of the early analysis of the coal gas content and characteristics.

These areas are then provided to the rural land agents who assist Composite Energy in identifying and securing sites suitable for drilling within these geological search areas. The land agents make the approach to landowners, to explain the operation, the equipment and the duration that an initial appraisal wellbore will take. The opportunity to discuss particular site specific concerns and to get a sense of the site characteristics is an important element of these early discussions with landowners. If a site and access can be identified with a landowner and they are agreeable, then Composite signs a land access agreement with them. This agreement covers protections for the landowner, liability cover, access arrangements, duration of agreement and the aspects of how the site will be restored on completion.

Before and during the time the land agreement is being discussed and signed, Composite Energy's Surface Management Team begin the process of reviewing the sites suitability and preparing to submit a planning application to the planning department of the relevant local authority. Composite Energy are supported in conducting screening surveys and preparing planning applications by RPS Group PLC. RPS are a leading multi-disciplined Planning and Environmental consultancy, who have a broad range of planning and environmental development experience and a depth of specialist knowledge, relating to ecology, landscape, traffic, acoustic and visual management.

RPS conducts a screening review of every site that Composite proposes to prepare and submit a planning application for appraisal drilling operations. The screening process includes a physical visit to the proposed sites by an RPS consultant. The specific areas of screening are:

  • Site Name and Location
  • General Site Location Description
  • Nearest Dwellings and Receptors
  • Road Access and Access Arrangements
  • Current designation of the site within the Local Plan
  • Landscape and Visual Assessment
  • Nature of landscape
  • Ecology
  • Nearest SSSI
  • Other designations (SPA, SAC, Local nature reserve etc)
  • Species of note - protected
  • Primary Habitat - Type of site and nearby
  • Trees present on site/species
  • Hydrology, Hydrogeology & Soils
  • Nearest watercourse
  • Underlying soil type
  • Past mining activities/disused workings
  • Flooding Risk
  • Noise and Air Quality
  • Background observation (noise)
  • Background observation (air quality)
  • Environmental Considerations
  • Transport and Access
  • Surface Road proximity and distance of joining to public road
  • Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
  • Nearest Scheduled Monument
  • Listed buildings
  • Other designations (designed landscape etc)
  • Setting description

If from this initial screening assessment issues are identified that might require further investment in more detailed surveys then these are undertaken and included within the planning application documents. An example of further assessment, might be that the screening review identified a nearby archaeological site and that further investigation is required to ensure the site Composite Energy is pursuing is not a valuable site in this respect. Composite Energy would then commission a more detailed archaeological survey by specific experts. If the survey results demonstrated that the site was suitable for our use and would not have impact on archaeology then we would continue with the planning application and include the results of the survey in that planning application. If the experts were of the view that the proposed site was of archaeological value then that site would be dropped by Composite Energy.

The planning application document describes the site and the coring appraisal operations that Composite Energy is undertaking, it also addresses any of the development concerns that might be specific to that site. The planning application is then submitted to the planning department of the relevant local authority.

Once the planning application has been submitted and validated, the application is distributed to both statutory consultees and interested parties by the planning officer assigned to the application. The planning applications are often made available by the planning authority on their website or interested persons can request to view the application paperwork in the local authority offices. Statutory consultees will return the application either without comment as they are satisfied that Composite Energy has addressed the concerns specific to area of management (such as the roads department will have an interest in the volume of traffic associated with the operation) or they will return the application with an "objection" which identifies and area that they either feel the application has not addressed fully or that requires the applicant to conduct further survey works. Again an example might be NATURAL England or Scottish Natural Heritage is concerned about the impact of operations on a specific species whose habitat is close to the proposed development site. In which case, Composite Energy would perhaps engage a independent expert to undertake a more specific survey relating to the species identified, which might return a view that Composite requires to undertake some further mitigation measures to protect against negative impact on the habitat.

The planning applications are advertised publicly and often individual members of the community, parish councils and nearby residents have questions and concerns. It is during this period that Composite Energy, takes the time where invited to meet with these parties in the communities to explain in more detail, face to face, the operations that are being proposed. Contact with the community is an important piece of our day to day work and we are always keen to meet, if you are reading this because you are located near to the PEDL that this section is addressing, then please make contact if your questions have not already been answered by the web site content.

Providing all objections can be reasonably addressed by Composite Energy, then the Planning Officer will make a decision. Once consent has been granted Composite Energy is then able to progress to discharging the conditions of the consent and to commence appraisal drilling operations.

Planning Consent however is not the only consent that Composite require to have in place prior to drilling, consents that are also required include:

Once the planning consent has been discharged and these other consents also approved, then Composite Energy is able to commence construction of the site. At this stage we would give any prior notification to the landowner as required by us in the land access agreement and site construction would commence. At this point of entry Composite Energy undertake a pre-entry survey of the site to record and agree its condition with the landowner, the landowner signs off to agree with the record at this stage and is also given a Health and Safety briefing about the operations to ensure that both Composite Energy and the landowner are aware of each others daily activities and that they are conducted in tandem safely.

Site construction involves the stripping back of the soil covering the 4,000m² area to sides for storage during the site operations phase. A membrane is laid and type 1 hardcore (aggregate/rock) is laid down to form the site base. A conductor pipe is then installed which is a way in which Composite Energy ensures that it commences drilling into the bedrock beneath the site. Once the conductor is installed, then Surface Management team hand the site over to the drilling team who will begin the process of moving the drilling rig equipment and cabins to site. Once the site has been constructed and all equipment has been delivered then the drilling and coring works commence. This phase of the operations typically lasts for 30 days, although Composite Energy request up to 60 days in the planning application to allow for any delays in operations.

Appraisal boreholes involve the drilling down to between 3,000-7,000ft and coring the different coal seams. The core samples are then retrieved to surface, where Composite Energy have a team of independent geoscientists who handle the cored coal , undertaking assessment of its visual characteristics and utilising equipment that begins the process of analysing the gas content of the coal. Once the coring operations have been completed (typically between 30-60days of operation), the wellbore is cemented and abandoned in accordance with and approved scheme of works that is governed by the "Borehole Guidelines".

Once the wellbore has been "plugged", the drilling rig and associated equipment is removed from the site. The process of restoration then begins; the aggregate and membrane are lifted, any remaining aggregate is then picked and the soil is then spread across the site and worked to ensure it is suitable for return to agricultural operations (usually the sites are on agricultural land, however in the event that they are not, the sites are returned to their previous state in accordance with the scope of the planning consent).

The site is then handed back to the landowner, by process of inspection by them and/or their land agent. Composite Energy through their land agents, maintain contact for a period of time after handover, usually one crop rotation in the case of agricultural land to ensure that the site is performing to satisfactory agricultural management standards.

The results of this and the other boreholes that Composite Energy is drilling around the UK, begin the process of analysis to understand and rank the commercial potential of the various coal fields that Composite Energy has under licence, to ascertain, where the company might aspire to invest further by way of a pilot test to attempt to produce natural gas from the coals commercially. Any development of this nature, will require a separate planning application to the relevant authority(s) to secure the right to conduct such a development. The applications being made for appraisal coring wells as described allow only a vertical coring borehole with up to 60 days drilling, with a condition that the boreholes and sites must be restored within one year of the commencement of the development (this is to allow for periods during the winter months where it is too wet to restore soil, allowing Composite Energy to wait for dry periods for any final remediation).

Given the progressive nature of CBM development from early coring appraisal to pilot test and field development; Composite Energy regards the relationships with local communities, individuals, media and regulatory authorities of paramount importance. As such, if you have accessed this website because you have become aware of our operations in this particular area, please do make contact if you have questions in respect of our works. A member of our surface management team will be delighted to answer questions or attend community/parish council meetings where invited to do so. We thank you for your interest.