Lock on NOW at the gates of the Horse Hill Drilling site!
Horse Hill Protection Group, Frack Free Surrey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

This morning two protectors from the Horse Hill Community Protection Camp have blocked the entrance to the Horse Hill exploration site where Horse Hill Development Ltd (HHDL) are drilling an exploratory oil well.

HHDL own 65% of the license, with the American fracking company Magellan Petroleum Corps owning the other 35%. Last week HHDL stated they had completed the well, Horse Hill 1, which been drilled to 6,612 feet (deeper than first expected for this phase).

A spokesperson for Britain and Ireland Frack Free (BIFF!) said ‘The drilling has taken place deep enough to take core samples from several shale bearing formations. At this initial drilling phase, hydraulic fracturing does not occur, and therefore no planning permission for such needs to be sought; it is a ‘salami slicing’ planning permission process. The ‘data’ gathered from this site will have a huge influence on the industry’s agenda right across the rest of the Weald. Whilst fracking may or may not happen at Horse Hill 1, this development will have a direct bearing on all other future sites, be it at the same development, across the road, in another Parish or further afield. The ‘salami slicing’ planning permission process means operators can claim they are ‘just seeing what is down there’ and we do not believe they will walk away from their investment once the shale samples have been assessed. That is why people are now taking direct action to raise the profile of this site and try to slow the process down.’

Links:

http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/73331/horse-hill-drilling-uncovers-more-oil-shows-results-sent-for-analysis-73331.html

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/313701/BGS_DECC_JurassicWealdShale_study_2014_MAIN_REPORT.pdf