A local council in England has recommended that an application for shale gas recovery – ‘fracking’ – test well be approved.
But Lancashire council has also recommended a second project nearby be rejected.
The council’s most senior planning officer drew up these recommendations following the applications by energy firm Cuadrilla to extract shale gas at Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood, near Fylde.
The application for Little Plumpton has been recommended for approval. Roseacre Wood has been recommended for refusal. The final decisions will be taken by councillors next week.
Ken Cronin, Chief Executive of UKOOG (the UK Onshore Oil and Gas association) commented: “It is good news that the Lancashire County Council planning officer is recommending that the planning application at Preston New Road is approved, reflecting the hard work Cuadrilla has done to address concerns that have been raised.
“We will look forward to the council’s decision on that application, and the one at Roseacre Wood, in due course.”
The decision will be closely watched nationally – not just south of the border, but also in Scotland, where there a pre-election fracking moratorium imposed by the SNP government – and also internationally.
Record production of shale oil in the USA is regarded by industry experts as one of the main causes of the slump in conventional crude oil prices as the Arab-dominated Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has pumped up its oil production to force down (all) oil prices, thereby driving the American shale oil producers out of business, and – consequently – allowing OPEC to turn off the taps and drive up world oil prices again.
Prime Minister David Cameron strongly promoted development of a UK shale oil industry prior to the election for both employment and economic benefits – as well as environmental gains.
In Scotland, INEOS has recently carried out a ‘plain facts’ campaign at a series of public meetings with local communities around its Grangemouth petro-chem refinery – to across the industry’s scientific case and safety track record.
Expert speakers confirmed for UK Shale Energy Conference – Glasgow 25 Sept, 2015: http://goo.gl/3xAYtG
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