EIR2026/00588: Newdigate earthquake swarm and new academic research (BGS Ref - IDA 310242)
Case reference EIR2026/00588
Received 12 July 2026
Published 7 August 2026
Last amended 7 August 2026
Request
Request received: 12 July 2026
On 3rd October 2018 an NSTA workshop was held with the British Geological Survey regarding the Newdigate, Surrey earthquake swarm. The conclusion of the workshop was that there was no causal link between the seismic events and oil and gas activity.
Since that workshop new academic research has been published which raises questions regarding that conclusion, notably the Fox and Meredith paper published in Geological Magazine on 10th January 2025 ("Were the Newdigate Earthquakes, Southern England, of 2018-2019 triggered by oil extraction?"): https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/geological-magazine/article/were-the-newdigate-earthquakes-southern-england-of-20182019-triggered-by-oil-extraction/22A5EF8F9934D79FBFED062112DA0611
In light of this new publication please could you provide:
- Information held regarding any internal assessments which have been made of the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Any correspondence between individuals within the BGS which mention the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Any correspondence between the BGS and the NSTA, UCL, Horse Hill operators, or other individuals, which mention the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Information regarding any discussions or correspondence which have taken place regarding plans to revisit the potential causes of the Newdigate earthquakes, since the Fox and Meredith paper was published.
Communications may include (but is not limited to) emails, records of telephone conversations, letters, or Whatsapp type messenger chats.
Response
Response sent: 07 August 2026
Thank you for your request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information regarding the Fox and Meredith paper published in Geological Magazine on 10th January 2025 ("Were the Newdigate Earthquakes, Southern England, of 2018-2019 triggered by oil extraction?"). Because your request concerns environmental information it has been managed under the terms of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
In answer to your requests for:
- Information held regarding any internal assessments which have been made of the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Any correspondence between individuals within the BGS which mention the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Any correspondence between the BGS and the NSTA, UCL, Horse Hill operators, or other individuals, which mention the Fox and Meredith paper.
- Information regarding any discussions or correspondence which have taken place regarding plans to revisit the potential causes of the Newdigate earthquakes, since the Fox and Meredith paper was published.
Communications may include (but is not limited to) emails, records of telephone conversations, letters, or Whatsapp type messenger chats.
BGS holds emails within the scope of your request. This information is in form of the attached emails along with one document that was included in them as an attachment. BGS holds no other correspondence in any other format and no internal assessments.
Some of the information in the emails and the attachment has been redacted under Regulation 12(3) and 13 which provides an exemption for information that is the personal data of an individual other than the applicant where disclosure to any member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles as set out in the Data Protection Legislation. We consider that information identifying individuals is personal data as defined by the current UK Data Protection Legislation. It is our view that to release information identifying individuals would be a breach of GDPR principles and associated legislation: it would be unfair to the individuals concerned as they had no expectation that their names would be released.
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Kind regards
The BGS Enquiries Service
Documents
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