AN oil rig due to drill an appraisal well in Poole Bay is now en route to the Channel.

The 'jack-up' platform ENSCO 72 is being towed from northern Scotland where it has just undertaken a similar operation on behalf of the same petroleum licensee – Corallian Energy. The rig is due to arrive on Monday.

Campaigners against the drilling, which is expected to last around 40 days, are planning a protest on Bournemouth beach on Saturday.

Corallian's search for extractable petroleum on the Wick prospect in Scotland was unsuccessful, with the well now capped, however the firm says Poole Bay's Colter prospect has higher chances of success.

In a statement it said: "We look forward to drilling the Colter appraisal well and will update shareholders when drilling commences.

"We assess the pre-drill chance of success of the Colter well to be 58 per cent."

The area is predicted to yield some 23 million barrels of oil, which Corallian says could be extracted by horizontal drilling via the existing facility at Wytch Farm in Poole Harbour.

Several campaign/political groups have joined forces to oppose the drilling, which also drew criticism from Bournemouth council, MPs and celebrities.

Save Our Shores Bournemouth, Global Justice Bournemouth, South East Dorset Green Party and Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth are holding a protest beside Bournemouth Pier from 11.30am on Saturday.

They say a spill of oil or drilling chemicals, though unlikely, is too great a risk to marine life and the local tourism industry to justify the operation, and are opposed to petroleum extraction in any event due to concerns over climate change.

Sara Pascoe of Save Our Shores Bournemouth said: "I know some people think climate change is a fairy tale but we really shouldn't be digging up fossil fuels.

"I saw in the Echo today the lovely news that the site of special scientific interest in Poole Bay is being increased by 20 per cent, it seems like a shame to play roulette down here.

"There is a terrible risk, there are always some unknowns.

"There are more cautious ways to go about doing what they are doing, but of course they are more expensive."