Madam, Sir,
Following the 2004 Regulation on environmental information and the 2007 Regulation of the European Communities on access to information in environmental matters, which transposes Directive 2003/4/EC concerning public access to environmental information, and in the light of the Aarhus Convention, I request the following environmental information. This request concerns inactive wells, temporarily blocked wells, as well as permanently blocked and abandoned oil and gas wells, as defined in Article 2, points 38), 39) and 40) of Regulation (EU) No 2024/1787 ('the Methane Regulation'). We understand that certain items referred to in Article 18(1) have already been provided in the existing public database on oil and gas. However, some elements seem to be missing: Application No. 1: Quantification of methane emissions and date of last operation For each well in the inventory, please provide all the results of the quantification of methane emissions, in air and in water, that have been made, whether or not they have already been integrated into the published inventory. Where a well has been permanently sturned and abandoned, please also provide, in accordance with Part 1(3) of Schedule V: The last known measurement or quantification of emissions, in air and in water, if applicable Documentation certifying that the competent authority certifies that the well meets the criteria of Article 2(40) Supporting documents demonstrating the absence of methane emissions from the well (quantification based on an emission factor or samples, or proof of permanent underground isolation in accordance with ISO 16530-1:2017), for wells furbished from August 3, 1994, and, if applicable, for wells ored before that date If quantification has not yet been carried out for some or all of the wells, please provide: A calendar indicating the date on which the quantification will be completed and the results published If the derogation provided for in Article 18(2) (accessible to States with at least 40,000 wells in total) is invoked, and if so, a copy of the step-by-step compliance plan submitted for approval by the competent authority, including the timing of the quantification provided for in that plan Please also provide all the data you have regarding the last known operating date of each well, in accordance with Part 1(1)(a) of Schedule V. Application No. 2: Owners, operators and historical licensees Please also provide all data or documents already in your possession regarding the owners, operators and historical licensees of the wells covered by this application, from their creation until today. If this information is incomplete, please provide all existing information you have, regardless of its current format. Format, mode of transmission and cost Please provide all information in a machine-readable electronic format (e.g. CSV or XLSX) rather than in PDF or scanned documents, when this format already exists or can reasonably be produced. If fees apply, please provide an estimate before following up on the request and confirm whether a fee exemption is applicable given the public interest of this request. If part of this request is denied, please specify the specific exception invoked and confirm that a criterion of public interest has been applied, given the strong public interest in transparency regarding legacy infrastructure related to fossil fuels and associated methane emissions. If the request is refused or only partially satisfied, please inform me of my right to request an internal review and to appeal.Please acknowledge receipt of this request and indicate the reference number under which it is processed.
Thank you very much.
Yours sincerely,
Global Witness