Oil and gas are energy minerals (also called hydrocarbons) that companies extract from the ground. Exploration and drilling for oil - and, to a much smaller extent, gas - has taken place in West Sussex since the 1970s and continues today.
West Sussex County Council is the mineral planning authority (MPA) for all areas of the county outside the South Downs National Park. The South Downs National Park Authority is the MPA for land inside the National Park.
As the MPA, the county council is responsible for deciding planning applications at every stage of oil and gas development, including exploration, appraisal and production.
The county council makes these decisions under the national planning system, which controls the use and development of land in the public interest.
Oil and gas developments also need approval from other regulators, including the:
You can find answers to common questions in the document below.
Get information about permitted oil and gas sites in our annual monitoring reports.
If you need more details about oil and gas development, email planning.applications@westsussex.gov.uk or phone 01242 642118.