The Environment Agency has opened a public consultation on its draft decision to grant an environmental permit for a proposed gas exploration site in North Yorkshire.
Europa Oil and Gas Limited has applied for a temporary exploration wellsite known as Cloughton 2 near Burniston. The company proposes to drill a test borehole to assess the potential for conventional gas extraction.
The consultation opened on Monday 3 August and will run for six weeks. The Environment Agency said local people and residents are invited to comment before a final decision is made.
The draft permit includes potential use of a well stimulation technique known as proppant squeeze. The agency said this involves injecting a gelled water-based fluid and sand into the well under pressure to open small cracks in the rock and improve gas flow.
The Environment Agency said the technique uses similar principles to hydraulic fracturing, but that the proposed activity is different from the shale gas hydraulic fracturing covered by the Government’s current suspension.
North Yorkshire Council refused planning permission for the proposal in May 2026. The agency said planning permission and environmental permitting are separate legal processes, with different responsibilities and legal tests.
The agency said its draft decision followed technical assessment by specialist officers, including consideration of the operator’s application, supporting information and responses to an earlier consultation. It said all relevant responses to the new consultation will be considered before a final determination.