A court injunction issued against shale gas protesters blocking a highway in New Brunswick has been extended.
A public relations firm hired by SWN Resources says an injunction granted earlier this month to end the blockade of its compound on Highway 134 near Rexton has been extended until Oct. 21.
It also says a hearing will be held in Moncton on Oct. 18 to allow SWN Resources to request another extension if needed.
The RCMP have not enforced the injunction.
The protesters, which include members of the Elsipogtog community, want SWN Resources to stop seismic testing and leave the province.
Premier David Alward and Chief Arren Sock met this week and agreed to set up a working group to work towards a resolution.
Opponents of the shale gas sector say the process used to extract the resource – hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking – could pollute drinking water.
But proponents of the industry say such concerns are overblown and don't take into account the possibility of replacing coal and oil with cleaner burning natural gas.