Celtique Energy

Celtique Energie is involved in the exploration of unconventional gas in the UK. It wants to drill for oil and shale gas in the South Downs national park.

Proposals to drill in national parks

In September 2014 the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) recommended refusal of Celtique's application for a three-year temporary permission to drill at Nine Acre Copse, Fernhurst, situated within the national park, because it was 'not in the public interest' and the firm had failed to show 'exceptional circumstances' for drilling in the park.

Celtique's application is due to come before the planning committee on 11 September.

The Authority had stopped consideration of Celtique's application earlier in 2014 because it said 'significant details have been omitted from the applicant’s Environmental Statement”. As a result, it commissioned independent specialist advice on what the application said about noise, hydrogeology, geology, borehole integrity, well drilling and well casing and testing.

In a statement in September 2014 Celtique claimed its plan would have only 'a modest impact' on the national park:

As part of our application we have submitted a comprehensive Environmental Statement that assesses the potential environmental impacts associated with Celtique’s operations, including landscape, transport and noise, and describes in detail the steps we would take to mitigate them. We are confident in the robustness of our application and hope that the Planning Committee of the South Downs National Park Authority shares this view when they meet to decide on the application next week.

We recognise the importance of the South Downs National Park to the local community in terms of culture, heritage and economic contribution to the region, and reiterate that minerals can only be worked from where they naturally occur. The exploration well is a temporary structure that would have a modest impact on the local area during its relatively short period of operation but would conclude on behalf of DECC whether oil or gas reserves exist in this location that could contribute to the UK’s energy mix.

UK exploration licences

Celtique holds 16 licences in five countries across Europe. Eleven of these are operated by Celtique, the other by partner companies.

In the UK, it was granted a PEDL (Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence) by the Department of Environment & Climate Change (DECC) to explore PEDL area 231, a square shaped area covering approximately 400sq kilometres in the ‘Central Weald Basin’.

People

• Geoff Davies

Directors Celtique Energie Holdings

• Geoffrey Davies, director, 23 Nov 2010-
• Peter Coulson, Secretary, 15 Dec 2011-
• Christopher Pullan, director, 9 Feb 2011-
• Gregory Evans, director, 10 Mar 2011-
• John Anthony Hogan, director, 10 Mar 2011- present. Hogan, who is a British geologist, was previously a director of ENI Oil Algeria Ltd from February 1994 until February 1999.

Former directors

• Robert Cabes, director, 23 Nov 2010-27 Jan 2014
• Tilly Franklin, director, 10 Mar 2011-31 Oct 2013

Affiliated companies

• Celtique Energie Weald Limited

Lobbying firms

• PPS Group

Affiliations

• All Party Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas - managed by major lobbying firm Edelman

Details

Registered Address

Celtique Energie Ltd

LION HOUSE, RED LION STREET

LONDON WC1R 4GB United Kingdom

Company Number 05296922. Was incorporated on 25 November 2004.

Website:

Resources

• Tim Webb, ‘Selfish and unpatriotic’: Geoff Davies takes on rich Nimbies of the South Downs, The Times, February 15 2014