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Gas development firm Third Energy has suffered a setback as its application to frack its existing well in Kirby Misperton has been delayed.
North Yorkshire County Council was due to make a decision on the company’s planning application to test for shale gas by 18 November.
However, after receiving further information it had requested from Third Energy, the Council today announced that it had launched a further re-consultation period of 21 days, meaning planning officers will miss this deadline.
The Planning Authority said: “The re-consultation period opens today (Wednesday 4 November) and all formal responses from external organisations and our internal departments will be required by the closing date of 25 November.”
Third Energy submitted the application to frack its existing KM8 well, an extension of its operations in Ryedale, in July.
UK Onshore Oil and Gas chief executive Ken Cronin recently told Utility Week that the number of fracking applications which reach the planning stage looks set to increase over the next six months, after the Oil and Gas Authority confirmed that 27 onshore blocks from the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas licensing round will be formally offered to companies.
In August, the UK government put in place measures to fast-track shale gas planning applications, including identifying councils which repeatedly fail to determine oil and gas applications within the 16-week statutory timeframe, with subsequent applications potentially decided by the communities secretary.
As well as Third Energy’s application, two other firms have fracking applications under review in the UK.
IGas first made known its intentions to explore for shale gas in Nottinghamshire in May, having submitted a scoping request. In August, it applied for planning permission to monitor groundwater across four locations near Springs Road, which was announced delayed last month. The firm has also applied to drill exploratory shale gas wells at the same site.
Also under review is a separate scoping request for a site at Tinker Lane near Blyth in Nottinghamshire.
Cuadrilla has two applications under appeal to the Secretary of State, after Lancashire County Council refused the firm permission to explore at both Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road. Civil servants have warned that the appeal process could take “at least 16 months”.
Read Utility Week’s analysis on the state of the ‘shale revolution’ here.
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