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Over recent months, a number of questions
have been raised by the local community at Albury. These have been
mainly in relation to the proposed activities at the existing Albury
well site. We have provided the Albury liaison committee with answers
as shown below. Some of the questions were focused on the previously
planned siting of the above-ground gas processing facility at Albury.
As the favoured site for that facility is now in the parish of Ripley,
we will in due course post answers to specific questions that arise
from that area. Answers relating to general questions about the
pipeline will also be posted here. We welcome both comments and
questions using our feedback form.
We welcome both comments and questions using our feedback
form. |
| Several people questioned the impact of
noise from the drilling rig on nearby residential properties. For
the project to proceed, the company must comply with Surrey County
Council noise guidelines. If the noise exceeded the Surrey County
Council guideline limit, we would not be allowed to continue. The
rig proposed for use at Albury is being thoroughly tested to ensure
that it can meet the noise limits required in Surrey. |
| Flaring is for drilling testing only and
there would need to be a temporary shrouded ground flare at the Albury
well site. Noise levels would have to comply with Surrey CC guidelines.
We might have to restrict night-time flaring in order to comply with
the guidelines There would be no flaring at the proposed gas processing
facility at Furze Copse, near Send Prison. |
| Some people were concerned that the flaring
of gas during testing would cause pollution through the release of
hydrogen sulphide. There is, in fact, no hydrogen sulphide in the
gas currently produced from the Albury field nor in the gas that would
be taken from the Scotia Gas Networks grid. |
| Ecological studies have examined the potential
impact of the proposals on any bats in the vicinity of the Albury
well site. While their presence was not confirmed, the studies adopted
a precautionary principle and concluded that any impact on them would
be negligible. Bat surveys are ongoing at the proposed gas processing
facility site at Furze Copse, near Send Prison. |
| Our highways consultants regard New
Road as suitable for the level of traffic proposed from the use
of the Albury well site for drilling further wells.Traffic levels
proposed are not significant compared with existing traffic flows. |
| Views south from St Martha's Hill
comprise elevated, broad and panoramic vistas across the Tilling Bourne
valley to the extensive wooded landscape of Blackheath and Albury.
The Albury well site is located 3.5km from St Martha's Hill.
At this distance, the site (including the existing telephone masts
adjacent to it) is not visible due to intervening landform at Albury
Warren, and the wooded nature of the landscape. The proposed drilling
rig would be in operation for up to 18 weeks for the appraisal drilling
and 36 weeks for the development drilling - a temporary effect.
Other operations within the site would be fully concealed by existing
vegetation. It is concluded that the proposals would have a neutral
visual impact on views from St Martha's Hill, since there would
be no discernable deterioration or improvement in existing views. |
| South of Albury Park, the elevation
drops into the local valley at Brook.The site and the proposed works
would not be visible from these lower elevations due to intervening
landform and vegetation. Further south, the elevation increases,
up Brook Hill towards Farley Green. At a distance of 1.5km, views
back toward the site are possible as part of broad views that extend
beyond Albury Park towards the North Downs. However, it is considered
that, at this distance, the existing telecom masts will be barely
perceptible, set within and against the wooded landscape across
a complex landscape of woods and copses. The proposed drilling mast
would also be barely perceptible at this distance. This is considered
to represent a neutral visual effect, with no discernible deterioration
in the views available. |
| The height of the drilling rig when
fully extended is 30 metres. The two telephone masts have been measured
at 30 metres and 35 metres. |
During drilling, safety is assured by
containing any gas within the well by employing (at any one time)
two independent barriers. Once the detailed drilling
work programme has been prepared, a risk assessment is performed
to be certain of this standard of containment in all operating modes,
and the programme and risk assessment are reviewed by an independent
examiner before submitting to the Health and Safety Executive for
comment. During a flow test, when the gas is burnt in a shrouded
flare, a similar policy is followed whereby the well can be isolated
by two barriers.
The gas processing facility proposed at Furze Copse has many safety
provisions to ensure the safety of our staff and third parties.
We must design contingency measures for all potential hazardous
events even though they are highly unlikely. One highly unlikely
event is fire or a gas escape. We design automatic systems to detect
such a rare event and the hazard is eliminated by removing the fuel.
The automatic system would isolate any unaffected part of the plant
and relieve the pressure in the affected area to make it safe. Any
gas is piped away to a safe discharge, normally a high-level vent
where, methane gas being lighter than air, it is dispersed to the
atmosphere. The design is such that a flammable gas cannot reach
the ground at any point. The safety of the plant to third parties
is being considered through the quantitative risk assessment by
independent experts. This will be reported in the safety case to
be submitted as a part of the planning application.. |
| Other than the small inventory contained
within the gas compression and drying plant, gas will not be stored
above-ground during either the appraisal or gas storage operation. |
|
The Humbly Grove adsorption towers or "silos" are 16.5
metres high. The adsorption towers at Furze Copse would be likely
to be the same height. |
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