East Riding Of Yorkshire - Environmental Impact Assessment For Development

PUBLIC CONSULTATION NOTICE
Gas Field Development
THE OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION, PRODUCTION, UNLOADING AND STORAGE (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2020

Abbey and Baker Field Development
Petrogas North Sea Limited has made an application for consent to the Oil and Gas Authority ("the OGA") in relation to the above project. The OGA now operates under the business name of the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

Summary of Project
Petrogas North Sea Limited, hereafter referred to as 'Petrogas', is planning to develop the Abbey & Baker gas fields in the Southern North Sea (SNS). Abbey sits within United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) Block 47/3i (Licence P.2582) in a water depth of 42.4 metres (m), approximately 40 kilometres (km) northeast of the Yorkshire coastline and 152 km southwest of the of the UK/Netherlands transboundary line at their closest points. Baker sits within UKCS Block 47/3f (Licence P.2433) in a water depth of 47.75 m and is located approximately 3.8 km to the northwest of Abbey.

Petrogas is proposing to develop the Abbey & Baker fields via four subsea gas wells; three at Abbey, and one at Baker; with separate wellheads/trees. The Baker well will be tied into a production manifold at the Abbey location, via a ca. 3.8 km 8-inch diameter pipeline and an electro-hydraulic umbilical. 

The Abbey & Baker fluids will be commingled at the production manifold, with the combined Abbey & Baker production exported via a new 8 km 8-inch diameter production pipeline and electro-hydraulic umbilical to the York Not Permanently Attended Installation (NPAI) platform, located in UKCS Block 47/3. At York, Abbey & Baker will be tied into the existing 16-inch pipeline for export onshore to Perenco UK Limited's Dimlington Terminal via Centrica Energy Storage Limited's Easington Terminal for processing. First gas is currently targeted for 2029.

Petrogas is currently planning to undertake development drilling between Q4 of 2027 to Q3 of 2028, with installation of the subsea infrastructure between Q4 of 2028 and Q1 of 2029. 

First gas is targeted for Q2 2029.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Consent Process
In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulations, the project is subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure.
The OGA is responsible for deciding whether or not to grant consent for the project, but agreement to the grant of consent must be obtained from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero ("the Secretary of State") prior to consent being granted. The Secretary of State's decision on whether to agree to the grant of consent is based on the environmental impact assessment for the project.

The range of possible decisions in response to the application of consent is:
(a) the Secretary of State agrees to the OGA's grant of consent following the Secretary of State's conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, and the OGA grants consent, so the project may proceed;

(b) the Secretary of State refuses to agree to the OGA's grant of consent following the Secretary of State's conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, so the project may not proceed; or

(c) the Secretary of State agrees to the OGA's grant of consent following the Secretary of State's conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, but the OGA does not grant consent, so the project may not proceed.

Where the Secretary of State agrees to the grant of consent, conditions that Petrogas North Sea Limitedmust comply with may be attached to the agreement, including environmental conditions to avoid, prevent, reduce or offset any significant adverse effects on the environment, and measure to monitor such conditions.

Notice of the decisions of the Secretary of State and OGA decisions for the project will be published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-2020-eiaregulations#environmental-impactassessments-eia where information on the Secretary of State's decision to agree to or refuse to agree to the grant of consent will also be made available.

Access to Further Information
Copies of this notice, the summary of the project and the Environmental Statement can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.petrogasep.com/ and at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-2020-eia-regulations#environmental-impactassessments-eia. Access shall remain at least three months after the date on which the Secretary of State publishes the notice under Regulation 16(1) (publication of consent decisions).

A copy of the Environmental Statement and summary of the project may also be obtained by post or email. Requests should be made to Petrogas North Sea Limited, 18 Carden Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1UQ, by email to info-pns@petrogasep.com or by telephone 01224 945000 by 14/09/2026.

Public Consultation
Representations, comments or questions relating to the project may be made to the Secretary of State by 14/09/2026. All representations should quote reference number ES/2026/023 and may be made by letter or by email to:
Business Support Team

Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
AB1 Building
Crimon Place
Aberdeen
AB10 1BJ
OPRED@Energysecurity.gov.uk 

Representations may be published on gov.uk. Any responses published will be redacted to remove individuals' names and personal information. Personal data of respondents is processed as for consultation responses. 

For further information please see the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero privacy notice DESNZ privacy notices - GOV.UK. 

Judicial Review
A person aggrieved by the grant of consent for a project may apply to the Court for leave / permission to apply for judicial review of the relevant decision or decisions. The United Kingdom has three separate legal systems; one each for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The rules for any application for leave / permission to apply for judicial review may vary depending on where that application is made, but it is important to note that there are time limits for making any application and judicial review may only be available if the applicant has standing / a sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application. 

Further information about the process for seeking judicial review can be obtained from the Administrative Court (for England and Wales), the Court of Session (for Scotland) or the Judicial Review Office (Northern Ireland).