Cuadrilla: Drilling 'By the Book'

The chief executive of Cuadrilla Resources has sought to reassure residents and environmentalists that drilling for shale gas is safe.

Cuadrilla Resources has been drilling the fist wells for shale gas in the United Kingdom near Lancashire and is due to start extracting gas soon.

CEO Mark Miller said: "We are doing this by the book". "We are using the best technology the industry has," he added.

The firm has sunk a test well more than 9,000ft (2,743m) down into Bowland Shale which runs from Clitheroe to Blackpool.

Opponents to shale gas drilling point to the United States, where some state officials are investigating claims that shale gas has polluted water supplies.

But Mr Miller said problems with extracting shale gas were "very rare".

He said it was crucial to ensure the well is correctly designed. "We want to meet or exceed all the UK regulations for achieving well integrity and making a leak-free well that is going to last 50 to 100 years," he added.

Cuadrilla Resources said it believed there could be enough gas in Lancashire to supply about 10% of Britain's future needs.

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