AN oil firm's request to extend its drilling operation in Poole Bay has been approved by government regulator OPRED.

It means Corallian Energy will continue drilling an appraisal well in the ‘Colter Prospect’ until the end of March.

The rig ENSCO 72 arrived in the bay on the first weekend of February, having been delayed for almost a week due to bad weather.

The firm's contract required it to close the well on February 28, however the government has granted an extension request, which had been anticipated due to the delay in commencing drilling.

A spokesperson for OPRED said previously: "Whether we would agree to extend the approvals would depend upon our assessment of the potential environmental impact of the delay and would not necessarily be constrained by the operational window agreed with Corallian during our consideration of the Environmental Statement."

However, environmental group Save Our Shores Bournemouth has expressed fresh concerns over the impact of drilling during March, an important month for the breeding of protected species of birds, fish and seahorses.

Group member Sara Pascoe said she was "disappointed but not surprised" by the news of the extension.

"We're looking at our strategy and will be asking the government to abide by its own laws such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act," she said. Corallian is drilling an area known as the Colter prospect, some four miles from Studland, to assess the quantity and accessiblity of the oil there. It assesses the chances of success at 58 per cent.

If the appraisal well is successful Corallian says an extraction firm could drill out horizontally from Wytch Farm, eliminating the long-term need for a rig in the bay.

Yesterday, Bournemouth and Poole councils issued a joint statement that read: "We continue to monitor and seek assurances from the regulator around the mitigation measures that they have approved and our robust objections remain the same."