'Gatwick Gusher' oil site eyes relaunch next year as boss warns Britain must control its own energy supply or face supply shock

An oil and gas field near Gatwick is waiting for the Government and local council to give the green light for new production after years of limbo.Oil and gas production at the ‘Gatwick Gusher’ – the Horse Hill site in Surrey – could start as early as next year after British firm Energy B today announced plans to take full control of the site.Energy B has agreed to buy the remaining 22.1 per cent stake in the site’s operating company, Horse Hill Developments, after acquiring UK Oil and Gas’s (UKOG) full holding in June.Boss Neil Ritson said it would help cut Britain’s growing reliance on imported energy as bills are forecast to jump by up to 25 per cent in the new year, warning that Britain is at risk of a ‘supply shock’ more than other countries.He told This Is Money: ‘The core issue is that Britain no longer controls much of its own supply. Campaigners celebrated after the Supreme Court ruling about the site near Gatwick in 2024'The gap is filled by pipeline gas from Norway and the Continent, plus liquefied natural gas shipped in from further afield, often the USA.'Storage is the buffer that keeps gas flowing when imports are disrupted or demand spikes, for example during a cold snap. Britain’s buffer is unusually small.'With so little in reserve, a supply shock can bite within days and Britain has to buy its gas from wherever it can at whatever cost, which is ultimately passed on to the consumer.'The Government’s North Sea Transition Authority, which is responsible for oil and gas production in the UK, will need to greenlight any new drilling.It is also awaiting a decision on a new planning application, including an emissions assessment, made in May 2026.If granted, the Gatwick Gusher could begin drilling in early 2027, said Ritson. He added: 'Oil and gas will remain part of the country's energy mix for decades, and it is better for bills, jobs, carbon emissions and for national security if these resources are controlled in Britain.'A country that produces more of its own energy has a buffer, and it keeps the jobs and the tax revenue that come with it.'What is the 'Gatwick Gusher' site? In 2014, exploration firm UK Oil & Gas Investments (UKOG) drilled a well in woodland at Horse Hill, near Gatwick Airport. Neil Ritson is the chief executive of Energy BIt quickly looked like a town close to Gatwick was set to become England's version of Dallas after test results showed the exploration well could contain nearly 20million barrels of oil.In 2014, UKOG, one of the investors in well operator, Horse Hill said preliminary estimates suggested there were 3.1million barrels of oil in the well’s upper Portland sandstone, with potential for a further 16.8million barrels nearby. There could also be gas lower down, it said.But soon afterwards UKOG had to stress it was not clear whether there was any recoverable oil at all, leading some analysts to pour cold water on UKOG's prospects.Beyond the site near Gatwick Airport, in 2015 UKOG said there could be up to 100billion barrels of oil onshore beneath the south of England.In June 2024, Supreme Court judges ruled that the full climate impact of the fossil fuel project at the Horse Hill site near Gatwick should have been considered before being given the go-ahead by Surrey County Council. The council previously said it had followed planning law.By the autumn of that year, the controversial oil drilling site in Surrey had suspended production.Will the Government approve new drilling? Energy B’s ambition to revive the Gatwick site comes as Andy Burnham pledges to make a decision on two North Sea oil and gas fields.Labour has been deliberating over plans for Rosebank, an oil field off Shetland, and gas field Jackdaw, east of Aberdeen, with a decision on the latter 'imminent', according to energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.The two controversial field sites have been the subject of years of debates, legal wrangling and public consultations, with arguments from both industry bodies and environmentalists being weighed up by the government.Ritson said: 'Jackdaw could contribute around six per cent to British gas supply. Industry also points to support for up to 3,500 jobs and billions of pounds in tax revenue.'DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you