Tony Formby & Southport Past
Moss Lane 2012 07 05 Oil Drilling North Of Moss Lane FZ100 16
Moss Lane was the site of the Formby oilfield which was discovered by D’Arcy Oil Exploration Company, a forerunner of BP, in 1939 on the site of a previously known natural surface seepage of oil. This was one of the UK’s first oil fields.
Between 1939 and 1965 the Moss Lane oil field produced a total of 72,000 barrels of oil. Peak production of approximately 50 barrels per day was achieved in 1940 from 11 shallow boreholes and after production stopped the boreholes were abandoned and the production equipment removed. The pumps were known as Nodding Donkeys.
The oil in the Formby oilfield was originally derived from deeply buried Carboniferous rocks at a depth of about 2,000 meters. The porous rock contains oil and gas that originated from organic algal material later covered by sediments countless millions of years ago. In past geological times some of this oil migrated from deep strata into overlying sandstones close to the surface and was trapped by a cap of boulder clay. Modern research shows that the chemical profile of oils from the oil and gas rigs in Liverpool Bay is identical to that extracted by the onshore Formby oil well which operated from 1939 until 1966.
In times past the local oil soaked peat was much prized as it burnt very well.
In 2011 Aurora Exploration (UK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aurora Petroleum Limited applied to drill four shallow boreholes to investigate the redevelopment potential of the abandoned Formby oilfield at Downholland Moss Lane Formby, West Lancashire. (Application No.: 2011/0210/CMA)
Phase 1 will be for just 2 boreholes.
In May 2012 work started on construction of the connecting roads and it is expected that drilling may only take 8 weeks.
Moss Lane 2012 07 05 Oil Drilling North Of Moss Lane FZ100 16
Moss Lane was the site of the Formby oilfield which was discovered by D’Arcy Oil Exploration Company, a forerunner of BP, in 1939 on the site of a previously known natural surface seepage of oil. This was one of the UK’s first oil fields.
Between 1939 and 1965 the Moss Lane oil field produced a total of 72,000 barrels of oil. Peak production of approximately 50 barrels per day was achieved in 1940 from 11 shallow boreholes and after production stopped the boreholes were abandoned and the production equipment removed. The pumps were known as Nodding Donkeys.
The oil in the Formby oilfield was originally derived from deeply buried Carboniferous rocks at a depth of about 2,000 meters. The porous rock contains oil and gas that originated from organic algal material later covered by sediments countless millions of years ago. In past geological times some of this oil migrated from deep strata into overlying sandstones close to the surface and was trapped by a cap of boulder clay. Modern research shows that the chemical profile of oils from the oil and gas rigs in Liverpool Bay is identical to that extracted by the onshore Formby oil well which operated from 1939 until 1966.
In times past the local oil soaked peat was much prized as it burnt very well.
In 2011 Aurora Exploration (UK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aurora Petroleum Limited applied to drill four shallow boreholes to investigate the redevelopment potential of the abandoned Formby oilfield at Downholland Moss Lane Formby, West Lancashire. (Application No.: 2011/0210/CMA)
Phase 1 will be for just 2 boreholes.
In May 2012 work started on construction of the connecting roads and it is expected that drilling may only take 8 weeks.