JERRY Scarr (Letters, July 28) asks a number of questions about the Ryedale Gas Project, which I am happy to answer:

1. The estimated average annual contribution of about £500,000 to the local economy has been calculated by Bowles Green (not Moorland) in their Tourism and Economic Impact Assessment report, which is available on the Ryedale Gas Project website (www.ryedalegasproject.com).

2. Initial tests on gas from the Ebberston South well revealed lower levels of hydrogen sulphide than in gas which is being produced safely by the existing facilities at Pickering, Kirby Misperton and Malton.

3. Tankers carrying condensate will normally travel east along the A170 towards the coast – ie away from Thornton-le-Dale.

4. Condensate is used as a feedstock in a number of refinery processes. It is likely, therefore, that the region’s refineries – all of which are on the coast – will be the ultimate destination for any condensate produced.

5. Contracts for the disposal of processed water will not be agreed until construction of the proposed facility is completed and a production date is known. However, collection and disposal will be handled by the owners of appropriately registered facilities.

6. The flare is included in the design of the facility as a safety measure. Under normal operating conditions there will be no need for the flare to be lit. It is proposed that a totally enclosed ground flare system will be used.

This has an efficient burner that operates smokelessly inside a combustion chamber which completely conceals the flare flame and is refractory lined to minimise noise levels.

7. The sulphur produced will be in slurry form, so will not be stored dry.

8. Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and mostly inert gas, constituting about 78 per cent by volume of the Earth’s atmosphere. As such, it is normal practice to vent nitrogen into the atmosphere.

In order to remove associated, potentially odorous components of the purge gas, it will be passed through an activated carbon filter before being vented.

Fergus Jenkins, Engineering and technical manager, Moorland Energy