Wildcatting in West Sussex?

The cost of crude oil seems to be bringing about a new rush to seek out additional oil reserves. We've seen Dubbya urging the big oil boys to restart exploration in Alaska, and I read an article the other day which stated that many of the US southern states were seeing the return of the 'wild-catters', commencing a new rush into exploratory drilling on a small scale. Well, now it would appear that it is happening on our side of the big pond too!

As a Geologist by original academic training, I could never understand why the UK had never really exploited what had been known for decades to be small oil bearing structures dotted around our once green and pleasant land. Maybe it was just that such small reserves were simply never commercially viable, but perhaps this is the start of a new exploration era?

Full story from the Telegraph. Let's hope the potential environmental consequences are carefully monitored, managed and controlled? But, errrrrm, just when did that ever happen regarding black gold..........

Indy - NEW - Permit for oil well in South Downs is 'act of vandalism' Ya think? (Junkk Male)