Cuadrilla moves ahead with UK fracking plans

Lancashire County Council has validated and accepted Cuadrilla Resources’ planning application to frack up to four exploration wells at its Preston New Road site.

The council will now start its own consultation regarding the company’s proposals, which is expected to take around 16 weeks. If approved, Cuadrilla expects to commence drilling later this year and start hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in 2015.

Cuadrilla Resources chief executive Francis Egan said: "We’ve been working hard to take on board feedback received during our extensive consultation with local residents, community groups and broader stakeholders, and I am very grateful to those people who gave us their comments."

Cuadrilla has also submitted a planning application to install a network of seismic monitoring stations in a 4km radius of the proposed exploration site.

The company will soon submit a separate planning application for its second proposed shale gas exploration site at Roseacre Wood.

Based in Staffordshire, Cuadrilla owns licences for ten sites in the UK. The company estimates that Lancashire’s shale gas market could be worth £136bn.

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Image: Cuadrilla plans to frack up to four exploration wells at its Preston New Road site. Photo: courtesy of Cuadrilla Resources.