OIL discoveries in Dorset could boost the economy and not affect the countryside, a councillor claims.

Mike Lovell, who represents the Purbeck Hills area on Dorset County Council, welcomed the discovery of more oil in the county.

Australian company Norwest Energy has found seven possible drilling sites in the ‘Wessex Basin’.

Five are in the Bournemouth and Poole Harbour area with the others in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

They estimate at least 400,000 barrels of oil and four to five billion cubic feet of gas can be sourced from the on-shore discoveries.

Mr Lovell, who is chairman of the Wytch Farm Oil Field Forum, played down environmental fears.

He said: “BP at Wytch Farm have been very careful with the countryside.

“So I don’t think this would have any ramifications for the environment if they’ve found more.

“And as for jobs if they’ve got more work to do they will need more people.

“There’s obviously a fair bit of oil around the place so it should be very good for the area and the economy.”

Wytch Farm, near Wareham, was discovered in 1973.

No major oil field has been found in the area since.

The ‘nodding donkey’ at Kimmeridge has been pumping out oil since the 1950s and is the oldest working oil pump in Britain.

Peter Munachen, chief executive of Norwest, said the firm will carry out more tests before deciding whether to continue.

He said: “Although the lead sizes are considerably smaller that the Wytch Farm field, the proximity of our leads to Wytch Farm, together with commercial thresholds in the 400,000-barrel range, indicates the chances of achieving future commercial success are significant.”