Cuadrilla becomes first in UK to receive final fracking consent

Cuadrilla has received final hydraulic fracture consent from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, for its first horizontal shale gas exploration well at Preston New Road in Lancashire.

All other relevant planning and permits required were already secured, prior to Cuadrilla beginning its work on test wells at the Lancashire site. The company is now in the process of preparing to apply for consent to carry out hydraulic fracturing operations for its second horizontal shale gas exploration well at the same site.

Francis Egan, chief executive of Cuadrilla, said: “We are very pleased to be the first operator in the UK to have been awarded final consent to hydraulically fracture the UK’s first onshore horizontal shale exploration well. This is a testament to, and underpinned by, our strong track record of running a world class shale gas exploration site at Preston New Road, in compliance with robust health, safety, environmental and planning regulations.

“It is also a win for Lancashire, which has already benefited directly from over £10m of investment as a result of our exploration works at Preston New Road to date. We now look forward to submitting a fracture consent application to BEIS for our second exploration well and moving on to fracture the shale rock and flow the natural gas which we believe will make a major contribution to reducing the UK’s gas imports and improving our environment and economy.”

The first horizontal shale gas well was completed by Cuadrilla in April 2018 through the Lower Bowland shale rock, at approximately 2,300m below surface and extends laterally for some 800m. The second horizontal shale gas well was completed this month and has been drilled through the Upper Bowland shale at an approximate depth of 2,100m below the surface, extending laterally for some 750m through the shale.

These are the first two horizontal shale exploration wells to be drilled onshore in the UK. Following hydraulic fracturing of these horizontal wells, Cuadrilla will run an initial flow test of the gas produced from both wells for approximately six months.

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Is the money from this staying in the North West? Or will it all be frittered away like the revenue from North Sea oil for tax cuts in the City of London? Will we be left with all of the scars and none of the benefits like the days of coal?

By Elephant

Elephant, I am guessing most of the money wont stay in the North West. Cuadrilla is owned 47% by Australian engineering company AJ Lucas, 45% by Riverstone Holdings (a multinational private equity firm based in New York City) & 8% by Cuadrilla employees.

By All pain no gain

One thing to look forward to from a Corbyn government will hopefully be an abrupt and costly end to this.

By Mike

Corbyn should support this, after all its gas made in Britain. Unless of course he suooorts is importing more from the USA or Russia

By Stuart wood

Fracked has will be sold on ththe European market at prices set at those levels. There are no benefits in terms of cost or security for ritual consumers.

By Reality

Great news, the US has benefited greatly from fracking.

By Stormer

If all the gas and oil already extracted and stored from the earth is actually used, global warming will be twice as bad as currently predicted. Apart from making money is there really a reason to extract any more carbon.

By Tree hugger

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