Cuadrilla Says Research Shows Public Coming Around to Blackpool Fracking

Cuadrilla Resources, the company pioneering shale gas extraction in Britain, says the results of research it commissioned show that public opinion is shifting towards its work.

A survey by research company BritainThinks reveals that local residents in Fylde, Blackpool and West Lancashire are feeling more knowledgeable about shale gas, and more supportive of continued exploration in their local area to understand the potential for shale gas in the UK.

After a moratorium, the British government announced recently that shale gas extraction involving hydraulic fracturing could go ahead, under strict regulations. Fracking at a site operated by Cuadrilla was stopped last year after minor earthquakes occurred in the area.

Cuadrilla Resources commissioned BritainThinks to conduct 500 telephone interviews with people living in three areas. It said the purpose of the survey was to understand attitudes about shale gas in the context of recent announcements.

Francis Egan, the company's chief executive, commented: “Clearly the more people hear about and talk about shale gas in Lancashire the more informed they are about the potential advantages it can bring, as well as the environmental considerations that need to be managed.

“A well-informed community can have the constructive public discourse this industry needs to be successful in the UK.”