Energy firm is keen on talking

Dart Energy will shortly submit a planning application to Shropshire Council to drill a coal bed methane (CBM) exploration well called Criftins 1 at a site at Dudleston.

The purpose of the temporary well is to retrieve samples of coal, sparking fears among environmental campaigners that the process will eventually lead to the industralisation of parts of Shropshire.

Dart bosses told a meeting in St Martins that the process would not use the controversial method of fracking.

Peter Reilly, a spokesman for the firm, said the information day was important to help people understand what the company was planning.

He said: "People who have come have asked very interesting questions and we are as interested in what they are saying to us as we are interested in answering the questions they are putting to us.

"People seem to have a good understanding of what this is about.

"In fact we have had former miners from the area coming in with a huge knowledge and a deep personal interest in the process.

"This is one side of the story and we would encourage people to do their research to make up their own minds."

Visitors to the session yesterday, held in the St Martins Centre, heard Dart had the licence for CBM exploration in the area and it intends to drill around five CBM exploratory wells in the next two to three years.

They also heard a typical drill site would be about 3,500 to 4,000 square metres during the drilling process which is expected to last up to six weeks.

Each of the sites would be fully restored to agricultural use, the company said.

St Martins resident Ron Allison said the information session had been valuable.

He said: "What they are telling us as far as this is concerned does not seem too untoward.

"The technique of using pressure gradients to carry out the process is an interesting one.

"That could be a very good way of doing it, if it goes ahead at all."

St Martins resident Dave Moss said he was interested to hear the plans did not involve fracking.