UK Launches 14 Licensing Onshore Round

The British government published details of the bidding processes for onshore oil and gas licences, referring to shale gas as a central instrument for its energy strategy.  

“Unlocking shale gas in Britain has the potential to provide us with greater energy security, jobs and growth. We must act carefully, minimising risks, to explore how much of our large resource can be recovered to give the UK a new home-grown source of energy. As one of the cleanest fossil fuels, shale gas can be a key part of the UK’s answer to climate change and a bridge to a much greener future,” Business and Energy Minister Matthew Hancock commented on Monday.

The Government published an online planning guidance, a regulatory roadmap and an illustration of onshore licences. More than half of the country will be open for bids. 

‘All applications in the 14th Licensing Round will be through the LARRY facility. (The Licensing Applications RepositoRY). This is a portal-based system that will lead the applicant through the process of compiling and submitting an application and will even take a credit card payment to cover the application fee, whilst guaranteeing security and confidentiality,’ reads a separate communication. 

The Government explained that the award of licence does not imply that the operator can immediately start drilling, as all oil and gas explorations will then require appropriate permits and must meet HSE’s scrutiny.  

“Effective exploration and testing of the UK’s unconventional gas resources is key to understanding the potential for this industry – so the Government is creating the right framework to accelerate unconventional oil and gas development in a responsible and sustainable way,” Communities Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon noted.  

All the eyes are on the Bowland basin, which is considered the most promising area in the United Kingdom.