VIDEO: ‘Why wouldn’t you trust us?’ asks CEO of energy firm behind plans to drill in West Sussex

Geoff Davies, chief executive of Celtique Energie

West Sussex is sitting on a potential gold mine of oil and gas buried deep underneath the Weald basin. And the CEO of British energy company Celtique Energie stressed this week ‘the geology isn’t going away’. If Geoff Davies’ firm doesn’t drill, another will, he said discussing a site near Kirdford and Wisborough Green.

In short, the controversial topic of hydraulic fracturing - known as fracking - is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

“We shouldn’t be having to battle to find out what the nation has got, but we are,” said Mr Davies during an exclusive interview with the County Times. “We’re battling to put a hole in the ground.”

The 59-year-old Lancashire man, who is behind plans for exploratory drilling sites at Broadford Bridge in Billingshurst, Fernhurst and a location near Kirdford and Wisborough Green, says he is conscious of the ‘fear factor’ and ‘lack of trust’ which shrouds the industry.

This week the CEO revealed Celtique is preparing to submit a further two applications for potential sites some where in its 1,000 sq km (247,000 acre) license-holding area which stretches from north east Crawley to westerly Hampshire. But he refused to disclose the exact locations for planning process reasons.

Celtique has been given the green light to test hydrocarbons at the Billingshurst site off Adversane Lane. Mr Davies expects work to commence during the second quarter of this year subject to finding a rig and getting the go-ahead from the Environment Agency.

Plans have progressed with no disruption from protesters, because fracking will never take place on the site.

But in Kirdford and Wisborough Green it’s another story.

JPCT 200114 S14040288W Celtique Energie CEO Geoff Davis -photo by Steve Cobb

Since the application was submitted to West Sussex County Council in August last year Mr Davies has made clear the controversial technique could be used in the future if initial tests prove positive.

The news sparked a wave of opposition from locals - exacerbated by the summer of protests at Cuadrilla’s site in Balcombe.

It made headlines around the world when hundreds of activists descended upon the village for months of campaigning before they were forcibly removed by police.

In the wake of such spotlighted scenes, residents have formed the group Keep Kirdford and Wisborough Green and are preparing to wage war against Celtique.