THE company behind a controversial oil drill project in Co Antrim have said their plans will "not involve fracking" and re-iterated their belief that "no threat" is posed to the water drinking supplies.
In a statement, InfraStrata also dismissed claims that the reservoir at Woodburn Forest, in Carrickfergus, is within the catchment area of the drill.
The company said: "The exploration drilling is conventional and will not at any time involve hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking).
"The Woodburn Forest exploration drilling poses no threat to local drinking water supplies. The wellsite is not within the catchment area of the North Woodburn reservoir.
It added: "The same chemicals were used in the drilling of a well, adjacent to Larne Lough, by InfraStrata in 2015 and more than 20 deep wells have been drilled in Northern Ireland in the past 60 years using similar drilling fluid and cement compositions."
A week ago, teams started chopping down trees at the forest and one person was arrested during a stand-off.
Campaign group 'Stop the Drill', which has raised concerns about chemicals from drilling potentially leaking into the reservoir, has urged an immediate halt of all activities, describing InfraStrata's waste management plan as "riddled with omissions."
It said: "On the face of it the WMP is unapprovable and we expect council to reach the same conclusion. Clearly, given their past performance we can make no guarantees they will."
Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo has also thrown his support behind the Stop the Drill group, calling the risks to the water supply "a nightmare" in a letter to Environment Minister Mark H Durkan.
A spokesman for NI Water said a clause in the agreement with InfraStrata prohibits fracking.
