PROTESTERS gathered for an anti-fracking picnic at the Horse Hill drilling site near Horley.
Campaign group Frack Free Surrey organised the event, which took place on Sunday in a road outside the site, run by Horse Hill Developments.
On Tuesday, the company announced it had struck oil.
As reported in the Mirror last week, Frack Free Surrey and nearby residents became nervous after a statement from oil company Magellan, which owns a 35 per cent stake in the drilling site, appeared to suggest fracking could take place there.
A subsequent release by Horse Hill Developments, clarified it is a "conventional drilling project and none of the other partners have any interest in exploring unconventional opportunities".
Despite this reaffirmation, protesters went ahead with the picnic and attendees enjoyed cake and music while waving banners.
Frack Free Surrey member and Green Party councillor Sarah Finch told the Mirror: "I thought it was really positive. Somebody said 60 people were there. Quite a few local people, which is quite gratifying.
"There was a lot of ladies who lived in the road itself and a farmer came along. They were very concerned about noise, light pollution and [the site's] effect on animals. The majority were from a slightly wider area, Surrey, Sussex and they were more motivated by concerns of fracking. There was a lot of mutual support, the local people really appreciated the fact that people had come up from Brighton and elsewhere."
She added: "It was positive and about encouraging people to find out more [about the site]. Motorists were stopping and tooting, there were police too, but they were seeing their role as stopping people from getting run over.
"They were there to make sure it didn't get out of hand and they were actually interested."
Scott Bradley, chief executive of Horse Hill Developments, said: "We are having an open dialogue with the local community, and would like to stress once again that this is a conventional well and none of the interested parties have any intention whatsoever of unconventional drilling."
Frack Free Surrey has also arranged a public meeting in Horley on Monday, October 13, at the Empire Hall in Victoria Road at 7pm.
