Oil found at Broadford Bridge drilling site

Exploratory oil drilling at Broadford Bridge near Adversane has uncovered oil in the Kimmeridge limestone.
An oily rock sample taken from the Broadford Bridge site near BillingshurstAn oily rock sample taken from the Broadford Bridge site near Billingshurst
An oily rock sample taken from the Broadford Bridge site near Billingshurst

Samples showing ‘mobile light oil’ were announced on Friday, with chairman UK Oil and Gas Stephen Sanderson calling the finds a ‘significant and positive result’.

Protesters have been campaigning against the site for several months over environmental concerns and fears of water contamination.

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The 160ft worth of core samples will tested extensively, but UKOG believe the oil could extend more than ‘30km from north to south across the Weald Basin’.

The Broadford Bridge drilling siteThe Broadford Bridge drilling site
The Broadford Bridge drilling site

The drilling has a permit from the Environment Agency, which assesses the risk to water sources.

Mr Sanderson said UKOG would ‘continue our coring and drilling programme and then move to an extended flow testing operation upon the grant of the remaining necessary regulatory permissions’.

In a statement to shareholders, UKOG said oil was observed ‘seeping from open natural fractures’ with the rock 4080ft down showing ‘saturated’ and ‘heavily oil stained’ rock matrix.

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