Kimmeridge oil well

Geologists love the Dorset coast for its variety and oddities. Among those oddities are the shale cliffs of Kimmeridge Bay. The shale is rich in oil, which can create spontaneous fires that smoulder for years. The shale has sometimes been commercially exploited and oil from it fuelled the street lights of Wareham 200 years ago.

 Oil is still being extracted, but from 350 metres down. A number of wells were drilled in 1959, of which the only survivor has been producing oil continuously since 1961. At its peak, the ‘nodding donkey’ pump was extracting up to 14,000 gallons a day, although the output today is much reduced. The oil is taken by tanker to the gathering station at Wytch Farm.

 Nearest postcode: BH20 5PF
OS reference: SY911791
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