On July 5, 2013, Cuadrilla Resources announced
that it was applying for a hydraulic fracturing permit for an exploration well
in northwest England. In 2011, Cuadrilla began hydraulic fracturing, but
operations were stopped after seismic activity occurred in the region. The
British government ordered a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing, and
the Royal Academy of Engineers conducted a study into the effects of using
hydraulic fracturing in onshore wells. In June 2011 the RAE
released the study, and six months later, the minister for the Department
of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced changes
to the permit process and operation regulations for wells undergoing hydraulic
fracturing.
The new permit from Cuadrilla comes on the heels of a
British Geological Survey (BGS) study
of the Bowland shale in northwest England that found larger recoverable
reserves of shale gas than previously estimated. The Cuadrilla permit is still
being reviewed by the British government.
Written by: Garrett Lent, Research Assistant
Written by: Garrett Lent, Research Assistant
Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center
July 2013
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