Horse Hill oil site: UKOG argues 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions are not significant for climate

drillordrop.com

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) has submitted a new planning application for the Horse Hill oil site in Surrey, claiming the predicted 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over 20 years would be 'not significant' for climate change. The application follows the Supreme Court's Finch Ruling in 2024, which quashed the original consent for failing to consider Scope 3 emissions from burning the oil produced. UKOG argues the site would supply 0.1% of UK oil demand and its emissions represent 0.05% of the UK carbon budget. The company also claims domestic production has lower carbon intensity than imports. The public consultation runs until 13 July 2026.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

So UKOG is basically saying 2 million tonnes of CO2 is small compared to the whole UK budget. That's true in percentage terms but the Finch ruling was about cumulative impact. One site at a time adds up.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. The 'not significant' framing is a legal argument, not a climate one. If every oil site used that logic we'd never account for any Scope 3 emissions.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The import argument is weak too. UKOG says imports have higher emissions but doesn't quantify the difference. Even if true, 2 million tonnes is still 2 million tonnes we could avoid.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

I'm more interested in the production numbers. 678k tonnes of oil over 20 years is about 93 barrels a day. That's tiny. Wytch Farm does 39k tonnes a month. Why is this even worth the fight?

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Because the precedent matters. If Surrey approves this after the Finch ruling, it sets a standard for how councils evaluate Scope 3. That affects bigger sites down the line.

solar_winds_05·3 months ago·1 pts

Right. The real story is whether the council sticks to the Supreme Court's logic or caves. The consultation deadline is July 13. That's where the action is.