AN OIL firm is proposing tunnelling four giant wells thousands of feet below ancient woodland in the South Downs National Park.

UK Oil and Gas Investments has applied for planning permission to extract oil from the site for up to 20 years.

The firm already has a couple of Sussex sites including the “Gatwick Gusher” at Herne Hill where 100 billion barrels of oil are estimated.

Environmental campaigners and residents said oil exploration was wrong in a national park while Stoughton Parish Council has called an extraordinary meeting for Monday to discuss the issue with residents..

A planning application has been submitted to the South Downs National Park Authority for the wells at South Holt Farm near Stoughton – 20 miles west of Chichester.

The field was discovered by Northern Petroleum in December 2010 and a test well almost 6,000 feet deep produced 3,931 barrels between December 2011 and May 2012.

Now UKOG wish to drill a 3,300 feet long horizontal sidetrack well from the existing borehole to carry out of an extended well test.

Drilling the sidetrack will take 32 days of continuous 24-hour drilling and would be followed by a process of acidisation where pumping acid including 15 per cent hydrochloric acid will be poured into the well to dissolve rock.

Should the test prove successful, the drilling of up to three additional production wells and a water injection could then be carried out a year later.

The company is also looking for permission for a new passing place along an access track, security offices, employee accommodation, canteen, toilets and showers.

Rigs brought on to the site, which is just just 520 metres from the nearest home, to seal off the existing well and drill new wells will be up to 37 metres high.

The project could create up to 30 temporary full-time jobs.

Brenda Pollack, Friends of the Earth South East Regional campaigner, said: “We believe that oil drilling should simply not be allowed in one of our most precious landscapes.

“The processes they want to carry out have risks for our environment.

"We have serious concerns about the techniques needed to get the oil out of horizontal wells and re-injecting the waste water back underground is worrying."

Resident and retired head teacher Michael Harbour said: “I regularly cycle on the South Downs and really don’t want to see this kind of industrial blot on the landscape for the next 20 years.

"This is a tranquil beautiful area that should not be opened up for an oil bonanza."

Stephen Sanderson, UKOG’s executive chairman, said: “This is an important milestone towards monetising the Markwells Wood oil discovery.

“We look forward to further engaging with stakeholders and to a successful planning outcome.”