3 Whitehall Place,
London SW1A 2AW
www.decc.gov.uk
L E Towner
Our ref:
14/0255
28 February 2014
By e-mail to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear Sir or Madam
I refer to your further e-mail of 10 February which asked the following:
“With regards to your reply to my request as to whether a Geophysical Survey has been carried out at Balcombe , West Sussex
where Caudrilla have carried out an exploration drill for onshore oil/gas and have submitted planning permission to return to
test flow rates (Lower Stumble Site, London Road, Balcombe, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, have Cuadrilla - license holders to
the area surrouding and including the site at Lower Stumble Balcombe - obtained any new 2d or 3d seismic data within the
licensed area around Balcombe? Was it commissioned by Cuadrilla or was it obtained elsewhere? If it was obtained elsewhere
where was it from, what date was the survey and is it possible to see this data?”
We have considered your request in accordance with the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs) as the
information you have sought disclosure of does, in our view, fall within the definition of ‘environmental information’ as
stated in the EIRs.
Notwithstanding the heading of “Internal review”, we consider that this is a new request for information rather than a
request for an internal review, and have treated it accordingly.
All seismic data shot for the area you have referred to is available via UK Onshore Geophysical Library (UKOGL) website at:
http://maps.lynxinfo.co.uk/ukogl_new/ Once the map comes up on the screen, if you zoom in on the area of interest and
click on the green lines (which show seismic information) you will be able to view the seismic data for that area. DECC can
confirm that Cuadrilla have not carried out any seismic surveys in the Balcombe area subsequent to the data available via
UKOGL.
Appeals procedure
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review
requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and
should be sent to the Information Rights Unit at: Information Rights Unit (DECC Shared Service), Department for Business,
Innovation & Skills, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. E-mail: xxx@xxxx.xxx.xxx.xx Please remember to quote the
reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Oil & Gas Licensing Exploration & Development