RESIDENTS are invited to a drop-in information event to find out more about plans to explore for gas and oil at California Quarry near Swanage.

InfraStrata, the firm behind the scheme, will hold the event at Swanage’s Mowlem Theatre later this October.

Last month InfraStrata announced that the exploratory drilling, which already has planning permission after being rubber-stamped by County Hall, would be postponed until winter 2015/16.

The firm had wanted to start drilling at the site this winter, but a delay in receiving a government license pushed this start date back.

Company bosses maintain the exploratory drilling will not involve controversial hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, but local residents opposed to the project are worried this may not always be the case.

Members of the Swanage-based Stop The Swanage Gas Rig organisation say any drilling from California Quarry will also increase traffic and damage the environment.

InfraStrata chief executive officer Dr Andrew Hindle said: “We hope everyone interested in our plans for exploratory drilling at California Quarry will come along to the information day to find out more.

“We will have experts on hand to answer questions about all aspects of the project – and why it does not involve fracking.

“Although we have modified the timescale of the start of the work, we want to keep people in the Swanage area up to date with our latest plans.”

The temporary three-year planning consent for the wellsite restricts construction and drilling activity to between September and March.

If significant reserves are found and InfraStrata wished to extract them, any further site development would require a separate planning application.