BBC: Huge oil reserves in southern England, report to say

There are several billion barrels of oil in shale rocks under large parts of southern England, a report has estimated. But getting the oil out of the ground will involve the controversial process known as fracking.

The study by the British Geological Survey (BGS) covers areas including Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent. The government is planning to offer more compensation for towns affected by fracking, according to press reports.

The BBC's John Moylan said that although the BGS study will say that there are several billion barrels of oil in place, is not clear how much would be economically recoverable.
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