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Cuadrilla has announced it is set to resume fracking and the flow testing of natural gas at its Preston New Road site, near Blackpool.
The company said it would remobilise hydraulic fracturing and testing equipment at the site in the next few months, with a view to completing work by the end of November.
Fracking at the site was halted in December after a series of underground earthquakes.
The chief executive of Cuadrilla, Francis Egan said it looks forward to returning to operations at Preston New Road, which will “further prove the flow of high-quality natural gas from the Bowland Shale”.
“Work to date on what is probably the most highly monitored onshore oil and gas site in the world has proved that this is an entirely safe, well run and well-regulated operation – and there is no doubt that the opportunity for the UK is huge,” said Egan.
“This work programme builds on Cuadrilla’s unique experience and expertise as the leading onshore shale exploration operator in the UK. We have learnt a lot during the hydraulic fracture programme for the PNR-1z horizontal in 2018 and this expertise forms the basis for the new hydraulic fracture plan for our second horizontal well, PNR2.
“The new hydraulic fracture plan will operate in line with the existing traffic light system for induced seismicity. However, one of the key differences will be a more viscous fracturing fluid which has been reviewed and approved by the Environment Agency as non-hazardous to ground water and which we expect will improve operational performance under the uniquely challenging micro-seismic regulations.
“It is no secret that we have asked for an expert technical review of the uniquely low micro-seismic operating limit of just 0.5ML on the Richter scale,” added Egan.
“It remains the case that we are the only UK operator currently able to move forward and provide more data to support an expert review of this threshold – and we intend to do so. I am looking forward to demonstrating over coming months that this remains an entirely safe and hugely exciting opportunity for the UK.”
Commenting on the announcement, Friends of the Earth campaigner Jamie Peters said: “Fracking just isn’t viable and renewables and energy efficiency is what’s needed. Fundamentally, at a time when the government has declared a climate emergency, the last thing we should be doing is starting an industry that extracts gas – it should be left where it is, along with other fossil fuels.”
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