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@dragon I'm presuming you're being partially humorous there (fair enough!) but I was told the only heli big enough for this rig is in Norway and super expensive to hire. Plus there are all the HGVs of hardcore for the pad.
BDF 28.
28 not 18 I believe trail_rat.
yeah their websites shite but the ideco BIR5625 you just have to click on it - even with it open you cant link to it direct.
its a small rig.
well I'm sure that's relative to what else you work on.
it looks pretty big to me!
35 metres high?
[img] http://imgur.com/a/DQ8rj [/img]
[img] http://imgur.com/a/fTl7L [/img]
It's been in beautiful Stallingborough recently, ruining the local's views of nearby Immingham.
Edit: Imgur linkys not working, I'll try again from Photobucket
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Coming at this from a different perspective - do people realise that this is going to destroy the jumps area that Nirvana cycles (and others) use?
There's some fantastic drops and jumps lines in there, will be such a shame 🙁
( ^ Just trying to lighten the mood )
yeah I told Nirvana it's near Heads Roll.
thx @mlc. baby rig lol.
@midlifecrashes - the campaign are looking for good rig pictures, would like to use yours please. Please see your email.
Another bike perspective - the drill site or rough area (I believe is right?), on a Strava heat map. Just showing the bike activity in the area. Noting this site is just the first in the area. Note also the large amount of bike traffic along the lane.
[url= http://i.imgur.com/P8fsWV9.pn g" target="_blank">
infact this site is purely for the exploration and [b]currently not proposed[/b] to have a nodding Donkey at a
This is the swerve, the word currently. When they applied for planning for the M3 near Winchester it was to go in a tunnel under Twyford Down, by time it was built they just cut a huge scar in it. It's well used tactic to start with one proposal and end up somewhere else, opposition tends to fade as people focus on their daily lives.
Thanks for the links, will research further
@deadkenny that's the site. the heat patch at the northern end would be Heads Roll.the umbilical going west would be Bury Hill Woods DH.
I'm pretty sure the drill site ie the physical pad location is in the inside of the SW loop.
[quote> http://www.bdf.co.uk/gallery.php?g=09-Rig%2018%20-%20Wirth%20L4
baby rig.
a baby rig with a red light on the top to warn aircraft. 😉
@mattjg is it now your intention to troll those who know about oil drilling to try and promote your cause? I would suggest that would be foolish.
Should we start each post with and Aye or a Nope if you have any experience of drilling operations?
It is a baby rig with a red light on the top to warn aircraft which it must have by law much like the electricity pylons it would appear to be approximately the same height as. However unlike a pylon it is only going to be there for a short period of time.
Nope.
But I guess I may soon, at least as an observer.
It's gentle humour Rusty, at applying adjective "baby" to something 33 metres tall. (32.93 if we're being pedantic, according to the BDF site, though presumably the light is extra).
--whatevs let it go--
They are using a tower crane like this on a new housing estate in my village at the moment. That's been there longer than 18 weeks now, itll be gone soon but we will be left with 40 crap looking houses.
This one is 34.2m apparently
[img] 
[/img]
that's a bit crap Stato. didn't you object? is it in an AONB?
.well given that it's a very small drilling rig/mid sized completion work over rig what adjective would you use ?
Perhaps you could suggest that bdf look into green energy.
The pics aren't mine, I've shamelessly lifted them from the facebook page of the protestors at the site last year:
facebook.com/Battleformauxhallfarm
Thanks @mlc, is that local to you and if so how far and how do you find it as a neighbour? Interested in your experiences.
Perhaps you could suggest that bdf look into green energy.
Are you suggesting a huge windmill instead?
The 1% rise in barrel price today for March 17 might produce some good news for UK O&G?
Are you suggesting a huge windmill instead?
is that what green energy is - dont know much about it just seems to be a much touted response to oil drilling 😉
Huge windmill would require chopping down a lot more trees. Unless they slap it up by Leith tower (or stick it on top of it) and I'm sure that won't go down well 😀
The site I've linked is miles away, maybe 45, we pass it on the way to the beach with the dog, every couple of months maybe. I've never given it a moment's glance, though now the rig is gone and there is a chunky fence which was only put up to keep the protestors out. Although it was certainly a chunky bit of kit, Lincolnshire has tons of drilling going on all the time, more usually for water reasons or geology testing for building(windfarms), a lot of the land is reclaimed marsh in the Dutch style.
More locally, around the Beckingham/Trent Vale fields, I've lived in Doncaster more than 25 years, and those flat roads to the East make up a big part of my road riding. It really hasn't been a big deal, certainly much less than the wind farms nearby, and massively less disruptive than generations of coal mines round here. A construction crew arrives a week or two ahead, widens gateways and stuff, puts any strengthened pad down, drill rig comes in for a few weeks, then a little compound gets left with either a capped well or a production site. These are close by major roads running over to the Trent wharfs and mills, and on Lincolnshire farmland where they use the bigger tractors and combines, so no access issues for HGVs round here.
A vertical axis turbine wouldn't need that many trees chopping down.
Think there is a simple miss understanding here. From an oil industry perspective I am sure you are right and its a baby rig but for your average person like Matt it can hardly be perceived as a baby sized piece of equipment. The thought of natioanl grid electric pylons in the area, if thats the size you say it is just helps confirm why the site is Wrong.
Pictures of cranes on houseing developments have no relevance to this thread what so ever. Was the access down a hign banked narrow country road in a AONB in the green belt with traffic lights installed so the road can be shut for convoys of hgvs to go up it. Do any of the locals have to phone ahead to check its clear to leave their houses. Is the road used by hugh numbers of cyclists daily both roadies and mtbs who can access the road at many points not knowing if the traffic lights are red or green.
Do we really believe this is the only point where they can drill directly to all the layers they need and just happens to be on a pre hardened forest track. As pointed out, do we really believe it will just be a test site as once established it would seem very likely it will stay as pointed out by someone previously.
I agree there has been some very sensationalist reporting especially in those bike mag articles linked to.
I would say its very hard to convey thinhs on forums like this and it does seem people take offence too easily and often they are pretty ,uch saying the same thing
Anyway, i'm done on this thread now
ybot - MemberAs pointed out, do we really believe it will just be a test site
That's the plan, they're going to drill, find out if there's oil, and if there is they'll post it in the "I was not aware of that" thread and move on.
Just in case anyone who's onside missed it: midday Saturday, Leith Hill Tower, see you there.
See u there.. Will be on a fluro yellow stumpy
I'll be there too...On a dull green Process!
I'll be there.
thx DK.
BBC News:
So, on the subject of fracking...
Was there yesterday (I'm in the "heart" photo somewhere 😀 ), and major part of the campaign is about fracking and signs all over saying "don't frack Leith". Yet as far as Europa are saying, it's plain conventional oil drilling. Also I thought fracking was to do with shale gas, not oil?
Anyway, this argument came up on their protest FB group and the responses pile up with references to anti-fracking sites and general talk of "oh well, they say it's conventional but really it's fracking by the back door" etc.
The thing with that is I'd like to see the actual evidence behind this. Not conspiracy theories repeated all over that people take it as fact. Actual factual evidence.
Is there any?
Not that I'm for the drilling. As I say I turned up to support the protest, although for me it's about the inappropriate location, damage to an AONB (and possibly in breach of rules supposedly protecting drilling in national parks and AONB), the impact on Coldharbour and the sunken lane, and the potential for wrecking trails/jumps.
I'm no hippie anti-oil type though. I drive a petrol car and use tonnes of things that use oil or are oil based. Though I do believe there's way more than enough oil already extracted. Just that it's in the hands of Arabs who artificially control the market. That's not necessarily a reason to drill loads more oil wells.
The operator say it is conventional and Surrey council say BGS have not found any significant potential for fracking in Surrey. So any talk of fracking in Surrey seems at present pure fiction.
Was up there with Scott jnr yesterday. I also thought the fracking signs were odd.
Met a lot of protesters on their way back down when we were climbing the hill. One thing I did notice was that they were reluctant to give even an inch of space on the shared bridle ways and even an acknowledgement when we had waited to the side to let them past.
Much as I support the cause I think I preferred the usual Leith Hill visitors to be honest.
Fracturing is not limited to shale plays, it is simply a tool used to improve production characteristics.
As for there being plenty of oil in Arabia, that doesn't really help with energy independence. Well unless invading and occupying a middle eastern country in order to "nationalise" the petroleum is your thing.
Re fracking - I recall only one sign. The opposition to the drilling comes from a range of individuals and groups, some of these say what's planned is a form of fracking, and that the government has moved the goalposts so some activities now come under "conventional drilling" when they shouldn't. It's pretty hard to stop people carrying a sign when they are determined. There is a general consensus that there is enough to be alarmed about without dragging in if it is or isn't fracking, but some feel strongly and do it anyway.
Sorry about your bad experience Scott, I was there too and didn't see anything like that - in fact the vast majority were usual visitors, it's just this visit was coordinated instead of random. Maybe just a crowd dynamics thing, I don't know.
At the camp itself there are several signs about no fracking. Much of their campaign on FB and twitter is anti fracking related and suggesting that it's fracking by another name (again - evidence?)
I did get the impression that most of the campaigners know little about the area but will happily turn up to anything to protest about.
That said, it was a good peaceful turnout and friendly bunch. Nice to see local representation and a few mountain bikers also (while a dozen or so maybe, was surprised there weren't much more).
Anyway, this lot seem more concerned about the local impact and issues rather than just a rant about oil & fracking - http://www.surreycommunity.info/lhag/
and newsletter covering the protestors and LHAG's position - http://ymlp.com/zThTt0
At the camp itself there are several signs about no fracking. Much of their campaign on FB and twitter is anti fracking related and suggesting that it's fracking by another name (again - evidence?)
The Save Leith Hill Twitter here https://twitter.com/SaveLeithHill has I believe no anti-fracking content, it's mostly about the site or the Weald.
Go ask on the Camp FB group and you'll find a couple of people very ready to engage on drilling vs fracking (and 3,500 who won't).
Most people on the camp are not locals, they are I guess closer to what one would call activists. For them this site is one skirmish in a much wider struggle. Amongst them there is a wide spectrum too. But they all care about the site too, very much.
However most people at the Tower yesterday were locals or townies not campers.
There's no top down hierarchy dictating what an individual can or can't say and what banners are permitted. And neither does one or two banners represent the opinion of all the people.
LHAG are awesome. If I had to choose between spending 7 years fighting the planning system or a winter on Leith Hill, I'd chose the winter on the hill.
