UK resumes fracking after seven-year hiatus
Fracking is underway again in northern England, but don’t expect a US-style shale boom any time soon
After a seven-year pause, hydraulic fracturing for shale gas restarted in the UK in mid-October. But, even if test fracking by driller Cuadrilla in north-west England goes well, it's unlikely that the industry can be scaled up as fast as the industry might like. Cuadrilla has already drilled two horizontal exploration wells at depths below 2,000m in the Bowland Shale formation at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire in anticipation of receiving a green light. Now it has the go-ahead to frack them - a process which it says will take around three months. The gas flow rate will be tested over six months with initial results expected in the first quarter 2019, according to the company. Cuadri
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
