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| Balcombe oil: Drilling delayed by protesters | Balcombe oil: Drilling delayed by protesters |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Exploratory drilling for oil at a site in West Sussex has been delayed for at least 24 hours after protesters blockaded the site entrance. | Exploratory drilling for oil at a site in West Sussex has been delayed for at least 24 hours after protesters blockaded the site entrance. |
| Oil firm Cuadrilla said it would not be able to drill at the woodland site near Balcombe as expected. | Oil firm Cuadrilla said it would not be able to drill at the woodland site near Balcombe as expected. |
| "We are behind schedule and hope to catch up in the next day or so. It won't be starting today," said spokesman Matt Lambert. | "We are behind schedule and hope to catch up in the next day or so. It won't be starting today," said spokesman Matt Lambert. |
| Delivery tankers were held up by three days of protests last week. | Delivery tankers were held up by three days of protests last week. |
| The first lorry went through the gate just after 09:45 BST on Monday, when about 30 police officers cleared a secure zone amid scuffles with the protesters. | |
| On Saturday, about 80 campaigners were at the site. | On Saturday, about 80 campaigners were at the site. |
| Cuadrilla obtained permission to extend its operating hours from 13:00 to 16:00 but stopped sending vehicles into the site shortly after 14:00. | Cuadrilla obtained permission to extend its operating hours from 13:00 to 16:00 but stopped sending vehicles into the site shortly after 14:00. |
| Deliveries expected | Deliveries expected |
| Protesters have been camping near the drilling site and on Monday morning about 30 gathered outside the gates by 07:00, as police kept the entrance clear. | Protesters have been camping near the drilling site and on Monday morning about 30 gathered outside the gates by 07:00, as police kept the entrance clear. |
| More delivery lorries are expected during the day. | More delivery lorries are expected during the day. |
| Cuadrilla plans to drill a 3,000ft (914m) vertical well and a 2,500ft (762m) horizontal bore to the south of Balcombe. | Cuadrilla plans to drill a 3,000ft (914m) vertical well and a 2,500ft (762m) horizontal bore to the south of Balcombe. |
| The protesters fear the tests will lead to a large increase in the number of lorries in the area. They are also campaigning against Cuadrilla's involvement in shale gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. | The protesters fear the tests will lead to a large increase in the number of lorries in the area. They are also campaigning against Cuadrilla's involvement in shale gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. |
| They fear the drilling may lead to fracking in West Sussex in the future. | They fear the drilling may lead to fracking in West Sussex in the future. |
| "We are not hydraulically fracturing at this stage," said Mr Lambert. | "We are not hydraulically fracturing at this stage," said Mr Lambert. |
| "We are looking for oil, not gas, and it's not shale, it's limestone effectively. | "We are looking for oil, not gas, and it's not shale, it's limestone effectively. |
| "What we will be doing is drilling a vertical well and then a lateral well into the limestone seeing if the oil will flow and testing the geology, bringing up rock samples and looking at those rock samples and any oil that we find." | "What we will be doing is drilling a vertical well and then a lateral well into the limestone seeing if the oil will flow and testing the geology, bringing up rock samples and looking at those rock samples and any oil that we find." |
| One of the protesters, Balcombe mother-of-two Georgia Lawe, said it was a "whitewash" to say there would be no fracking at the site in the future. | One of the protesters, Balcombe mother-of-two Georgia Lawe, said it was a "whitewash" to say there would be no fracking at the site in the future. |
| "I think anyone reading about the hydraulic fracturing process would be terrified about the chemicals they are putting down into our ground with no long-term assurance that they wont seep into our water supply. | "I think anyone reading about the hydraulic fracturing process would be terrified about the chemicals they are putting down into our ground with no long-term assurance that they wont seep into our water supply. |
| "This site is 1.4 km from Ardingly Reservoir." | "This site is 1.4 km from Ardingly Reservoir." |
| Mr Lambert said Cuadrilla would be using "drilling mud" - a liquid containing 10% hydrochloric to clean up the drill bit and allow the oil to flow. | Mr Lambert said Cuadrilla would be using "drilling mud" - a liquid containing 10% hydrochloric to clean up the drill bit and allow the oil to flow. |
| "It's not dangerous and it's not fracking," he said. | "It's not dangerous and it's not fracking," he said. |
| "There is absolutely no question of any of the liquids we are putting into the ground getting into the aquifer or the reservoir." | "There is absolutely no question of any of the liquids we are putting into the ground getting into the aquifer or the reservoir." |