Cuadrilla Confirms Plans for Further Testing at Preston New Road
UK shale gas exploration company Cuadrilla July 11 confirmed that it will return to hydraulic fracturing and flow testing of natural gas at its flagship Lancashire site in Preston New Road, near Blackpool.
The company will remobilise hydraulic fracturing and testing equipment in the third quarter of 2019 and, subject to all required regulatory approvals, complete the work programme by the end of November this year, it said.
Cuadrilla believes that the upcoming programme will ensure that more data is provided to government and regulators to justify an expert technical review of the current exceedingly low limit on induced seismicity, allowing for this to be brought into line with other UK industries such as quarrying, construction and geothermal.
“We look 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,” CEO Francis Egan said.
In February, Cuadrilla announced results from flow-testing of the UK’s first ever horizontal shale gas exploration well which confirmed a reservoir of recoverable high quality natural gas.
“We are also working to demonstrate that natural gas produced from UK shale is likely to be the most environmentally sensible and economically beneficial long term feedstock for hydrogen generation, essential if the UK is to hit net zero CO2 emissions by 2050,” Francis said.