FIELD HISTORY

1980

Humbly Grove Oil field, the license area PL116b near Alton in North Hampshire, situated on the northern margin of the east-west trending Weald Basin.

The field was discovered by Carless Exploration Ltd in May 1980 with the HGX1 well, which was tested at a rate of 100 stb/d. A three well appraisal programme was drilled between February and August 1982 confirming an oil reservoir overlain by a small gas cap in the Great Oolite Limestone, together with the Rhaetic reservoir some 1000 feet deeper. A further five wells penetrated the Rhaetic during development, of which HGA1 and HGX4 produced hydrocarbons.

1984

Full field development commenced in 1984 under Carless Exploration, with a total of 13 development wells being drilled from 3 surface locations and construction of gathering centre for crude oil stabilisation and export rail loading facilities, being commissioned and fully operational as an oil production facility from May 1986.

1992

Acquired by Kelt UK.

To enhance oil recovery 3 off multi lateral sidetrack wells from existing well bores were added in 1993 and 1994, with addition of onsite Gas turbine driven power generation system for onsite consumption and power export.

1996

Acquired by SOCO UK

Production was maintained from Oolite and Rhaetic reservoirs with gas used to generate power in later years. Surplus gas and produced water were reinjected into the formation.

1999

Acquired by Star Energy.

Existing 3.5 MW gas turbine power generation system was replaced in 2000, with 2 off 5.2 MW Gas turbines for gas cap utilisation and power export to the National Grid. In November 2005, additional gas storage wells, compression, gas treatment facilities and export pipeline connection to the National Grid system provided gas injection into, and production from, the Great Oolite and Rhaetic gas caps.

2005

The Gas Storage development project completed. Field now operated as a 10bcf gas store with associated oil production

2008

Star Energy delisted on the Stock Exchange and acquired by Petronas (Malaysian state Oil company)

2011

Petronas sold Star Energy to IGas, with the exception of Humbly Grove PL116 which was retained and re-branded as Humbly Grove Energy Ltd continuing to operate as a Gas Storage and Oil production facility

2020

Acquired by EP UK Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energetický a průmyslový holding (EPH), a vertically integrated energy utility.