2019
19th Sept
Flow testing on the second well at West Newton-A was suspended in late August 2019. Rathlin Energy said this was to analyse data and revise the well test to take account of the oil find.
8th April
Truck surfer delays rig equipment for over 8 hours.
The main rig was significantly delayed on its approach to Pipers Lane. Eventually, it was reversed a couple of kilometres back down a winding country lane to New Ellerby.
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- The main drill rig reversing, nearly in to a police car.
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- This rig is so old, it is thought to be made from a cut up vintage 1950’s fire engine, a Green Goddess. It is so unreliable it has to be moved by low-loader.
Struggling to make the turn in to Pipers Lane and scraping the road.
24th January
23rd Jan – Drill Hose Breaks Loose With Bang, Smashes Cabin, Sprays Workers
West Newton wellsite workers were sprayed with muddy drilling fluid, and left coughing and spluttering. See Incidents page.
16th January
Conductor Rig Drilling the first section of well WNA-2.
West Newton Monitoring & Information Station next to the site entrance (on the right) in the shadow of the drill rig (behind).
14th January
Marriott Drilling’s drill bit leaving site.
2018
West Newton A Wellsite, 11th December 2018
December
Preparations for drilling the second well, WNA-2 / Well Cellar Construction
“CF explained that although the site is already there, they need to construct a new cellar. This is a small construction project taking 2-3 weeks, during which they will excavate 3-4m in depth to install a new cellar and the surrounding concrete pad.” – West Newton “Community” Liaison Committee Minutes
~13th December
~11th December
10th December
6th December
2014
6th Nov
Site Almost Empty
5th Nov – Rig Packed Down Ready to Leave
22nd Oct – Well Intervention Equipment with Scaffolding
Well intervention equipment (blue) in use; scaffolding tower; work-over rig (white) behind.
7th Oct – Fracking Company Cuadrilla On Site?
Cuadrilla Resources is an all out fracking company. Witnesses at the site reported over-hearing workers on the phone to Cuadrilla, the work over rig is owned by Cuadrilla, and a worker in Cuadrilla branded work wear was on site. Rathlin Energy deny that Cuadrilla workers have been at West Newton.
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- 7 Oct – Worker in Cuadrilla overalls at West Newton well site.
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- 4th Oct – Schlumberger (an oil services company) vehicle at West Newton
7th Oct – Small Dead Mammals in Murky Water
It turned out that Rathlin Energy was poisoning them. They categorically denied it; but the EA confirmed it. Details on the Incidents page > Rathlin Poisons Wildlife
6th Oct – Climbing Rig Without Harness
One of the 20 main impacts of extreme energy is dangerous working conditions, and we’ve seen many breaches of H&S on Rathlin Energy’s sites, such as not wearing hard hats within the compound.
This is example shows a worker who appears to be climbing the rig without a harness.
Click for video
25th Sep – Piles of Small Dead Mammals
Hundreds of rodents suddenly died in the drainage ditches around West Newton well site, when certain work was being carried out resulting in sustained, loud, and heavy rumbling. They may have been attracted or confused by the vibrations from the site. The Environment Agency also recorded the presence of oil in the perimeter ditch.
14th Sep – Gas Flaring
People present when flaring occurred, even for short periods, reported sore throats and headaches.
Click for video.
Flare stack by day
16th Aug – Standard Operating Procedure?
Nothing to see here. Move along.
14/15th Aug 2014 – Mini-frac Incident
Emergency well intervention equipment mobilised to site after an emergency well shutdown. Read more on the Incidents page here.
5th Jul – Dead Hare in Ditch
July 2014 – Cuadrilla Work Over Rig at West Newton
Fracking Yorkshire: Cuadrilla Rig On Rathlin Site – Frack Off
Well Schematic
West Newton 1 – Well Schematic. Taken from Rathlin Energy’s EA Permit Application, section 6 – Site Condition Report, p11.
West Newton 1 – Conceptual Model. Taken from Rathlin Energy’s EA Permit Application, section 6 – Site Condition Report, last page.
A slightly different well schematic appears in the Hydrogeological Risk Assessment. This can be found in Rathlin Energy’s EA Permit Application, section 5 – Waste Management Plan, p168.
