A major drilling site in East Yorkshire could hold more oil and gas than previously thought.
The Wold Newton site in Holderness, operated by Rathlin Energy, was already believed to be one of the UK’s biggest onshore gas fields.
In June, investment firm Reabold Resources revealed the site was believed to hold around 189 billion cubic feet of gas – the equivalent of 31 million barrels of oil.
Now that figure has increased, as new tests showed the field could in fact hold 211.5 billion cubic feet of oil, and 146 million barrels of oil.
Campaigns have been held outside the site in East Yorkshire by those opposed to the drilling, and in September, an East Riding Council planning decision to allow operator Rathlin Energy to store almost 200 tonnes of crude oil in West Newton was met with fury.
David Bramhill, executive chairman at investor Union Jack Oil, said: "The results of the Operator's analysis confirm that the estimated in-place hydrocarbon volumes at West Newton comprise a significant proportion of liquids, which represent a material increase over and above those figures provided by the existing CPR.
"We are looking at an onshore project with potential offshore resources, and to date, West Newton is demonstrating the elements required to become a significant conventional hydrocarbon development project in the future."
The Rathlin Energy site has been at the centre of controversy since East Riding Council approved plans last November to extend test drilling at West Newton.
At the time, councillors stressed the application to extend tests at the site did not include fracking, rather “conventional drilling.”
This involves drilling down to potential reservoirs of petroleum, which differs from the hydraulic fracturing of rock to obtain the mineral - otherwise known as fracking.
In September, tension between councillors and campaigners mounted in Beverley, as an application to store crude oil on the West Newton site was approved.
Councillors were called "scumbags" and "spineless gits,” as campaigners hit out at the decision to grant permission.
Rathlin's agent Elizabeth Walker said neither the Health and Safety Executive or the Environment Agency had raised any objections to the application to store hazardous substances at the site.
The operator has also previously claimed it has discovered the biggest hydrocarbon deposit in the UK since 1973 at the West Newton site.
