Oil has been discovered at a site on the border or Surrey and Sussex.
Horse Hill Developments has been drilling an exploration well at the site near Horley and the oil could be being extracted within two years.
Frack Free Surrey held a protest meeting on Sunday over fears the company may use fracking on the site, however the company guarantees that the fracking technique will not be used.
Geologists have suggested that the oil and gas reserves at Horse Hill site could be worth about £2bn, with production beginning in about two years.