Cuadrilla to Submit Fracking Plans for Two Lancashire Locations

UK based oil exploration firm Cuadrilla has announced it will be submitting plans for fracking in two locations in Lancashire.

The company said it will be applying to Lancashire County Council before the end of the month to 'drill, hydraulically fracture and test the flow of gas from up to four exploration wells' at Preston New Road in Little Plumpton.

At the same time, plans will be submitted to install a network of seismic monitoring stations within a 4km radius of the exploration site.

In a statement, Cuadrilla also said that a separate planning application will be submitted for the exploration of Roseacre Wood, 'a few weeks after the Preston New Road application'.

Francis Egan, Chief Executive of Cuadrilla said: "This application could be a really important milestone for Lancashire and the UK as we seek to unlock Lancashire's shale gas potential. The development of the shale gas industry has the potential to bring significant investment, community benefits and opportunities for local people and the North West and UK economies."

If the plans are approved, it would mark the first time Cuadrilla has fracked in the UK since 2011, after it was forced to cancel operations when it was blamed for minor earthquakes.

To avoid a stir in the local community, the fracking firm says that it has taken feedback and advice on board: "We have undertaken extensive consultation and engagement with the local communities on these applications and have listened carefully to what people have told us. Where it has been reasonably practical to do so we have amended our plans to incorporate feedback and suggestions."

Egan has also recently confirmed Cuadrilla could be supplying fuel from shale gas to British homes by late-2015.

He told the Telegraph: "If the flow rates look good then we would want to tie the well into the gas transmission system and flow it for a longer period to assess the flow rate over 18 to 24 months."