[ROCKMAN]

"...so I would say your upper limit is about 1000 feet above your ground.” Hmm...dirigible drill rig..let me think on that a bit.

[dolanbaker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-33018802
The amount of oil in the Gatwick airport area could be about 70% more than previously estimated, an exploration company says.

UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) now estimates there are 271 million barrels of oil per square mile (mmbo) in the Weald. The total amount of oil in the field has not been revealed.

A previous report estimated about 158 mmbo, after exploration at Horse Hill.

Friends of the Earth said local people were concerned about pollution.

Brenda Pollock, of Friends of the Earth, said: "Today's announcement isn't something to celebrate.

"Oil extraction is deeply unpopular. Local people are rightly concerned about more lorries, air and water pollution, noisy drilling and disruption to village life."

UKOG said it was planning to drill more exploration wells in the Weald and was assessing the potential of the reserves in the area.

Oil has been produced onshore in the South of England for many years. There are currently about a dozen oil production sites across the Weald, an area spanning Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

[ROCKMAN]

And maybe there's 10 BILLION bbls under ground at the airport. But that's not very relevant: oil sitting underground can't be utilized. So the key number is the amount of PROVEN ECONOMICALLY RECOVERABLE oil present in the area. And unless I've missed something that current number is ZERO BBLS.

"The total amount of oil in the field has not been revealed." Just a picky point: in my world oil reserves sitting in the ground don't qualify as a "field" until they are actually being developed and produced. Until that time they are still classified as noncommercial hydrocarbon deposits. And certainly not a "field".

[dolanbaker]

Yes, I've often wondered whether it could ever be viable to drill there.

[ROCKMAN]

donlan - It could be a significant commercial play. But it would probably take drilling AND PRODUCING 50 to 100 wells to get a rough idea of the ultimate potential and grow its particular learning curve. As we say in the US oil patch: sometimes the pioneer reaps a nice reward...and sometimes all he gets for his efforts is an arrow in the back. LOL.