Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15604, what information her Department holds on the (a) number of petroleum exploration and development licences which have been (i) applied for and (ii) issued in the last 12 months and (b) the location to which such applications and licences apply.

No landward Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences have been applied for, nor issued, during the last 12 months. However, in the latest (14^th) Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round, which closed for bids on 28 October 2014, 95 applications were received from 47 companies covering 295 Ordinance Survey Blocks. The Oil and Gas Authority announced on 18 August 2015 that a first tranche of 27 onshore blocks will be formally offered to companies, and that a second group of 132 further blocks has been subjected to detailed assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, the OGA intends to announce offers for the second group of licence blocks later this year. A map showing the location of the first tranche blocks and those being considered further can be found here:

https://decc-edu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=29c31fa4b00248418e545d222e57ddaa.