Infrastrata 'committed' to plans to drill for oil and gas near Carrickfergus

A company that plans to drill for oil and gas in County Antrim has said it remains committed to the project, despite a partner firm pulling out.

Infrastrata intends to drill on a site at Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus.

Following the withdrawal of its partner company, it now needs to find £2.8m for the well to be drilled.

Work had been expected to begin shortly.

There has been opposition to the plan because the site is leased from Northern Ireland Water and is within the catchment area of a reservoir that supplies drinking water to Belfast.

Infrastrata said that all the "regulatory approvals and other permits" were in place for work to begin this winter, but the timing depended on getting a drilling slot for the rig and completing the funding.

It said it was "disappointing" to report that Larne Oil and Gas Limited, which had taken up an option in the project last September, had run into "funding difficulties and will no longer be participating in the project".

Infrastrata said that while the terms of Larne's exit from the scheme were being resolved, it was in discussions with a number of parties to secure £2.8m "to complete the funding of the well so that it can be drilled this winter".

Friends of the Earth say the proposed site is 400 metres from a reservoir and a nature reserve

Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland said it had "major reservations" about the site, which it described as "highly inappropriate".

Its spokesman, James Orr, said it was 400 metres from a reservoir and a nature reserve.

"I'd like to think that the company has pulled out due to local opposition but I think market forces are having as big an impact as anything else," he said.

A spokesperson for the Stop the Drill Campaign called for the drilling permit to be revoked and for a full environmental impact assessment to be carried out.

Fiona Joyce said 1,800 streets in Greater Belfast and Carrickfergus drew water from Woodburn reservoir.

She also questioned the decision of NI Water to lease the land to the drilling company.

NI Water has said it is satisfied nothing in the plan poses any risk to the public water supply.

Infrastrata's chief executive Andrew Hindle said, while he was disappointed that Larne would no longer be taking part, "significant progress has been made in recent months towards drilling the first exploration well on the PL1/10 licence area in over 40 years.

"The lower costs of onshore operation mean that onshore projects are expected to remain profitable at lower oil prices if they were to persist.

"The company remains fully committed to the Woodburn Forest-1 well and is actively pursuing a number of options to secure alternative funding for it to be drilled as soon as practicable."