UK Onshore SIG Meeting

PESGB is pleased to inform members that the next meeting of the new UK Onshore Exploration Special Interest Group will take place as follows:

Date & Time : Tuesday 25^th September 2018, 6.30pm

Venue: Apollo Room

The Crown Tavern

43 Clerkenwell Green

Clerkenwell

London EC1R 0EG

Nearest tube: Farringdon

Graham Dean of Reach CSG, recently involved together with INEOS in challenging the Scottish Government in court over its announced “ban” on fracking, has kindly agreed to present a talk entitled “The Scottish oil-shale industry from the viewpoint of the modern-day shale-gas industry” at this meeting, abstract as follows:

“Oil production in West Lothian in Scotland started in 1851. It was not the first place to produce oil from shale but it was the largest and most successful. This oil production led to major developments in oil refining and, as a result, a large demand for oil products was created. This new demand for oil products stimulated the  search for oil around the world and resulted in the first modern-day oil well being drilled in the Titusville Pennsylvania in 1859. Over the next 100 years, an estimated 75 MMbbl of oil and 500 Bcf of gas were produced from the shales of West Lothian. Initially, the oil was produced from a thin layer of shale at Torbanehill near Bathgate. Later, the much thicker deposits in the Dinantian West Lothian Oil-shale Formation (WLO) were used to produce the oil, although there was also oil produced from other shales mostly in the Lower Coal Measures and Limestone Coal Formation.

This paper looks at the Scottish oil-shale industry from the viewpoint of the modern-day shale-gas industry and highlights the contribution the industry made as the forerunner of the oil industry. The paper attempts to explain why the Scottish oil-shale industry was so successful and influential. Reasons why the oil-shale industry did not develop into modern oil-well production are also put forward.  The Scottish shale-oil industry was successful not only thanks to James Young and his colleagues but also because of the geology of the Central Belt of Scotland and, in particular, the geochemical properties of the WLO. The shale-oil industry, natural oil seepage, free oil encountered during mining, and the historical exploration drilling demonstrate a rich functioning source rock suggesting significant prospectivity for future exploration for both oil fields and shale gas”

We are currently seeking a sponsor for this meeting to fund the provision of food and some refreshments, a total of £500 + VAT, so please let us know if your company might be interested..

The UK Onshore Exploration SIG provides a semi-formal forum for members currently engaged, formerly engaged, or just interested in UK Onshore exploration to meet and socialise with fellow members similarly engaged, and to exchange ideas/experiences and discuss developing techniques applicable to land-based exploration.  It is anticipated and hoped that this should also interest members engaged in landward exploration elsewhere and so attract them to attend meetings also. If any member would like to assist in running this group, please contact Ben King at PESGB or Jerry Field (jerry.field@egdon-resources.com).

Please feel free to distribute this announcement to fellow members within your organisation or elsewhere who may be interested in attending this or, indeed, any future meeting.

With thanks to the sponsor: