BBC: Shale gas pioneer plans world’s first offshore wells in Irish Sea

Fracking has proved a controversial issue in the UK.  The founder of shale gas firm Cuadrilla is planning a venture to frack in the Irish Sea, the BBC has learned.

Dr Chris Cornelius believes there are large volumes of offshore shale gas that could be extracted.

If successful, it would be the first such project in the world.

Dr Cornelius' new firm Nebula Resources was awarded three licences in the Irish Sea last month by the Department for Energy and Climate Change and hopes to begin exploration soon.

"Certainly offshore shale gas is a new concept, and there's no reason with the UK's history of offshore development that we can't develop these resources offshore," he told the BBC.

No longer involved with Cuadrilla, he now hopes to drill the world's first offshore shale gas wells.  MORE