ONE of the firms hoping to drill for oil worth more than £6 billion under Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight has said it will work hard to allay fears of local residents.

London-based Wessex Exploration and Australian oil firm Norwest Energy this week announced they had discovered up to 112 million barrels of “black gold”.

They hope to tap into the lucrative oil field, known as the Wessex Basin, at seven sites across the region, including at picturesque Hurst Castle and Milford on Sea.

Wessex Exploration chairman David Bramhill said: “You can’t just be a load of roughnecks and start drilling where you want.

“There are very tight UK Government protocols on what you can and cannot do in UK onshore exploration and production.

“We know we’ve got to be very careful and very senstive and do things properly. There will always be objectors but that is the same if you built a factory or a housing estate.”

The 60-year-old said winning over residents through a thorough public consultation would be vital for the project’s success.

“People have to know what is going on. If we did not do that we would have a battle on our hands,” he said.

“The fact is the technology is now so advanced that you don’t have to drill exactly above where you’ve found oil. You can actually set up five or ten miles away.”

Dorset is already home to BP’s giant Wytch Farm field, Europe’s biggest onshore drilling operation, and local campaigners played down environmental fears.

“BP at Wytch Farm have been very careful with the countryside. So I don’t think this would have any ramifications for the environment if they’ve found more,” Wytch Farm Oil Field Forum chairman Mike Lovell said.

“And as for jobs if they’ve got more work to do they’ll need more people.”

Imogen Davenport of the Wildlife Trust, said any new exploration should follow the precedent set by Wytch Farm.

“They’ve taken an ecological management strategy to protect sensitive wildlife areas and we would clearly encourage anyone else thinking of drilling there to do the same,” she said.