Dotted around the area are a number of oil wells. One is just by the A3M roundabout at Junction 2 next to the Gales Distribution Depot with more in the woodland on the way to Rowlands Castle. These are owned by UK Oil & Gas Investments who are imminently about to apply for permission from the South Downs National Park Authority to carry out more drilling and a production test of a new well from an existing borehole.
The well is between the Horndean and Singleton Oil fields and when initially commissioned by Northern Petroleum had an anticipated supply of 35 million barrels with a maximum potential of 61 million at a depth of 1380m.
In 2010 when the site first started to be drilled the cost to extract meant that a price of $80 per barrel made it viable so it is interesting that they are drilling with a current price of $46 per barrel. UK Oil and Gas are looking to drill one horizontal appraisal well, up to three horizontal production wells and one water injection well with a production run of 20 years.
UK Oil and Gas Markwell Wood Statistics
The site is about 2 miles east of Finchdean in West Sussex and at a planning application has just been posted by the SDNPA. Comments can be made on the link below until the 17th October 2016.
SDNP/16/04679/CM | Appraisal and production of oil incorporating the drilling of one side track well from the existing well (for appraisal), three new hydrocarbon wells and one water injection well, and to allow the production of hydrocarbons from all four wells for a 20 year period. | Markwell’s Wood-I Well Site South Holt Farm Dean Lane End Forestside Rowlands Castle West Sussex
If you would like to comment on the application when it comes out please do so to the South Downs National Park Authority using the link above.
horndeanmatters 
Does a “water injection well” mean fracking?
Hi Cathy
Fracking is where you have gas (shale gas) and the geological data does not show this here. To extract any fuel from below ground whether oil or gas you need to pump something in to apply pressure and displace the fuel. In the North Sea this is sea water. Onshore it is generally water from the water table. Water is more dense that oil so this. Ales its way to the bottom of the reservoir and pressurises the oil at the top.
In effect it is the same objective as fracking but to get oil to the surface, not gas.
Best wishes
Guy.
The Environment Agency and Portsmouth Water have objected to UKOG’s application to drill at Markwells Wood . “We consider that any pollution from the development could have the potential to cause very significant consequences.”
Thus far over 1,300 people have objected to the development, citing major issues with the faulty traffic assessment, narrow rural roads that don’t allow for two way traffic with HGVs, incomplete data and misleading risk assessments. The application contradicts most of the core values of the National Park with regard to public amenities, ecology, and preservation of the landscape. The aquifer beneath the site and the planned route to the site is protected and is a fast conduit for groundwater flowing towards the Bedhampton and Havant Springs which is a main source for Portsmouth Water. Portsmouth City Council “strongly objected” yesterday . And for what? The company is boasting about 55 barrels a day for 20 years. Bearing in mind that the average daily consumption of oil in the UK for is about 1,510,000(based on stats from 2015) this would come to about .0036% of our daily supply. Hardly a gusher and definitely not worth the risk. please link to http://www.markwellswoodwatch.org to object .