Woodburn Drill Project Ends 'Without Hitting Oil'

Drilling at Woodburn Forest in County Antrim has ended without the discovery of an oil reserve.

InfraStrata, the independent petroleum exploration and gas storage company behind the drilling, made the announcement on its website on Thursday.

It said that drilling work had been completed, and two "conventional sandstone reservoir intervals, the Triassic Sherwood and the Lower Permian Sandstones" had been found, and added that "both targets were water wet".

"The well will now be plugged and abandoned," the statement concluded.

Andrew Hindle, CEO of InfraStrata, said: "Following the divestment of exploration assets late last year this remained our only exploration project with costs fully carried through the well.

"It is naturally disappointing not to have encountered a hydrocarbon accumulation and the joint venture will now fully evaluate the data collected in the well and decide where to focus its future exploration activity in the basin.

"InfraStrata and its project partners would like to thank all those involved in the operations for their hard work and dedication. We will now work with our local contractors to professionally restore the site."

Northern Ireland director of Friends Of The Earth, James Orr, said the "earth has spoken", according to a report by the BBC.

He added: "Today is a time for celebration – this is fantastic news for the community, our water, our climate and our wellbeing.

"We feel vindicated that this harmful, worthless and ill-conceived project is now over. The democratic meltdown that allowed exploratory drilling in Woodburn can never repeated."

(MH/JP)