BBC: Shale gas firm meets with West Sussex residents over test drilling

A shale gas company which is to carry out exploratory drilling near a village in Sussex is holding a drop-in session.

Cuadrilla plans to drill a 3,000ft (914m) vertical well and a 2,500ft (762m) horizontal bore to the south of Balcombe, near Haywards Heath, in June.

The tests will see if oil or gas, if found, could be extracted. The drop-in session will be held at Balcombe Hall, between 16:00 and 20:00 BST later.

The parish council said it had been told no fracking will be carried out.

Fracking involves pumping a mixture of water and chemicals into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas and oil.

Cuadrilla said the information session will allow members of the public to speak to company representatives.  MORE