The report that Horse Hill could contain up to billion barrels under its soil, close to Gatwick, in Surrey has led to a response from environmentalists who are trying to stop any future oil exploration. UK Oil & Gas Investments, a small oil company that claimed to make the discovery, claims that up to 15 trillion barrels of oil can be recovered. This is roughly as many as Brazil’s proved reserves. Frack Free Surrey posted on Saturday that it was based on one drill site without flow measurements. This is absurd for anyone with any knowledge of geology. If the 100bn oil barrels are found in Surrey, it will lead to major clashes between environmentalists and the oil industry. Dr. Jeremy Leggett, an Earth scientist, expressed shock that the TV stations that covered the alleged major discovery didn’t challenge “this pieceof hype.” He believes this was due to a desire for a rise in the share price of the small company. Dr. Leggett also said that he was contacted by a radio station on the night of the announcement asking how the UK would spend its huge windfall. Dr. Leggett said: “This kind of thing is up against those who long for an managed retreat from default fuel-fuel addiction.” Frack Free Surrey held a demonstration camp at Horse Hill and expressed its willingness to take further action. Friends of the Earth warned against any drilling near Gatwick, just as was the case at Balcombe (West Sussex). The potential world-class resource UKOG CEO Stephen Sanderson stated that the drilling of the deepest well within the basin took only 30years. He also used concepts, techniques, and technology not available in 1980s. This has led to new data and interpretations which have significantly changed our understanding of the region’s oil potential resources. Experts contracted by UKOG to assess the area claim that anywhere from 3% to 15% percent of the estimated 100 trillion barrels of oil found in the Gatwick is recoverable. It would represent a huge oil discovery for the UK if this was true. If 15 trillion barrels are actually recoverable and the UK has a 1. 217 Million barrels per day would supply enough oil to fuel the entire country for 12,325 7 years or 33.7 days. In the past forty years, the North Sea has produced a combined 45 trillion barrels of oil.
