British shale gas company Cuadrilla said on July 11 it would restart fracking at its Preston New Road site in Britain in the third quarter of 2019.
The company repeatedly stopped operations last year at the site in Lancashire because of minor seismic events. British regulations demand work be suspended if seismic activity of magnitude 0.5 or more is detected.
Cuadrilla uses hydraulic fracturing which involves injecting water and chemicals at high pressure to break up rock and extract gas. The practice, known as fracking, can cause tremors and environmentalists oppose the development.
“We look forward to returning to operations... There is no doubt that the opportunity for the UK is huge,” Cuadrilla’s chief executive Francis Egan said in the statement.
The firm has asked the industry regulator to review rules on seismic activity to allow more thorough testing of exploration wells.
In February, Cuadrilla said results from flow-testing at the site confirmed a reservoir of recoverable high quality natural gas and that it had fully fractured 2 out of 41 stages along the horizontal well.
Rival Ineos, which has the largest shale gas license acreage in Britain, has called on the government to change seismicity regulations. Experts have also said the limit for tremors could be safely raised at fracking sites.
Cuadrilla, 47.4% owned by Australia’s AJ Lucas and 45.2% owned by a fund managed by Riverstone, said that subject to all regulatory approvals it would complete the program of fracking and testing equipment by the end of November.
Recommended Reading
Hirs: Expansive Energy Policies Set to Shape 2025 Markets
2025-01-02 - The incoming administration’s policies on sanctions, tariffs, regulations and deportations will impact the oil and gas industry.
Pickering Prognosticates 2025 Political Winds and Shale M&A
2025-01-14 - For oil and gas, big M&A deals will probably encounter less resistance, tariffs could be a threat and the industry will likely shrug off “drill, baby, drill” entreaties.
Kissler, Wyett: Trump Tariffs and Potential Energy Market Aftershocks
2024-12-20 - U.S. production and prices may increase; global cooperation may decrease; but Trump’s previous tariffs had less of an impact on import prices than the COVID pandemic.
Trump Fires Off Energy Executive Orders on Alaska, LNG, EVs
2025-01-21 - President Donald Trump opened his term with a flurry of executive orders, many reversing the Biden administration’s policies on LNG permitting, the Paris Agreement and drilling in Alaska.
Analysts: DOE’s LNG Study Will Result in Few Policy Changes
2024-12-18 - However, the Department of Energy’s most recent report will likely be used in lawsuits against ongoing and future LNG export facilities.