Infrastrata announces it is getting out of oil business

The exploratory drilling operation at Woodburn Forest started in May for a month

The company at the centre of a controversial Country Antrim drilling operation has announced it is getting out of the oil business.

Infrastrata said it had decided to divest itself of its "remaining oil and gas exploration interests".

The firm said it was moving exclusively into gas storage.

Its exploratory drilling at Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus sparked protests over water supply fears. No oil was found at the site.

Opponents claimed the well, on land leased from NI Water, posed a risk to the public because the site was within the catchment of a reservoir that supplied water to thousands of homes in Belfast and Carrickfergus.

NI Water insisted there was no risk.

Infrastrata abandoned the well in June when only water was found. It had suggested there could be up to 25m barrels of oil waiting to be discovered.

The company has a majority interest in a proposed gas storage facility at Islandmagee.

It said the decision to stop drilling for oil and gas was part of a restructuring allowing it to "focus entirely" on the Islandmagee project.